The Princess and The Magician (Revised)
by Reinaa
Summary: The fate of a Princess and a Magician are entwined in unimaginable ways. They will endure hardships of betrayal, deception, lies, heartbreak, pain, sadness, and surprise. Will the Princess break the magician's shell? Or will the magician break the Princess' heart? Please R&R!
1. The Sakurai Family

**[[ Hello everyone! This story was my very first story on here and I am going through the process of rewriting this fanfic.**

 **Just some details, if you don't mind.**

 **I will be switching form different point of views so please keep an eye on that.**

 **Also, I'm a university student so if I take a little while posting, please bear with me.**

 **R &Rs would be appreciated greatly, thank you!**

 **P.S. I do not own Hunter x Hunter. ]]**

* * *

"Back straight, chin high, and gentle movements. No, that's not it, please try again Tsubaki-Hime." Maria was disappointed in me again, everyday for the past week, the same routine. I'm surprised she hasn't given up on me. Maria is our current head maid, her mother, Fuuko, had recently passed away relinquishing her title and handed it over to Maria.

Fuuko and Maria were with our family from when my father was a child in the palace. Maria and Papa are about the same age and she's watched over me ever since I was born.

I'm my father's only child and so they immediately started educating me in everything as soon as I was able to comprehend the material. I may be a princess in title but that's all there is to me that's princess-like, even though I may be gifted in playing the piano, that is the only thing I can do right, why do you think Maria is losing patience with me?

"Okay Tsubaki-Hime, why don't we take a break instead and start your Biology lesson early today." Maria was gathering up all the teacups and plates onto a large round silver platter, I guess a break means we're done for the day.

"I'm sorry Maria, I'll try my best tomorrow. I'll make sure to get it right before the Fujiwara's come over." I gave her a small curtsy and she gave me a smile but I can tell by the look on her face that she was tired of going through the same material for almost a week already. I really must master the material soon.

"Maria-San," A man's voice interrupted us and when I looked to see who it was, it was the Head Guard, Shiroki, or Shiro as we call him; he's also my best friend.

"Ah, Shiro-Sama, is there something you need?"

"I apologize for interrupting your lesson but Her Royal Majesty, The Queen, wishes to see you immediately. I believe it is of some importance." Shiro had a gentle yet deep voice, when he talked; he talked with authority yet it was also peaceful.

"Ah, I see. I understand, I'll make my way immediately, thank you for delivering the message." Maria gave a curtsy to Shiro and made her way out of the room with the tray of tea.

When Maria left, it was just Shiro and I and when he took off his officer's hat to reveal his beautiful blonde hair, I could tell why most of the maids liked Shiro but Shiro is mine and always will be.

"Shiro-Nii!" I yelled as I slowly jumped into his open arms.

He chuckled and positioned me better so I wouldn't fall, "Tsubaki-Hime, it seems the lessons aren't doing well?"

"Since the Fujiwara's are from the Southern Sector of Taira, their tea ceremony is performed differently than ours. I think Maria might be getting mad at me; it's taking me too long to get it right. We keep cutting our lessons short."

"Don't worry too much, take your time with it, you'll get it right." Shiro said as he gave me a smile and placed his hat, that was obviously too big to fit, on my head,

"Ne, Shiro-Nii, can we go play a game before Maria comes back?"

"I'm sorry Tsubaki-Hime but I'm on training duty today. We have new recruits coming in soon and I'm charge of their training sessions. Maybe Maria would be willing to take a break and play?" Shiro-Nii doesn't know how busy Maria's schedule is; she'll never have the time to play with me.

I don't know if it's because I was quiet for too long but Shiro-Nii hugged me closer to him and said, "Ne, Tsubaki-Hime, how about you come to the training session with me? You're trying to hide for Maria for a bit, right? Why not get some training in?"

My face lit up when Shiro-Nii said I could train with him, it's been a long time since we were able to play together. However, that excitement was short lived when another guard interrupted us.

"Tsubaki-Hime, I apologize for intruding." The guard that came in was Kazuto, he's the same age as Shiro and is his best friend, "Shiro, there's something here that we need your help with. It's important."

"And Tsubaki-Hime?"

"Maybe it'll be better to hear her orders regarding our current situation instead of the Queen."

Shiro and I gave each other a look of worry, what's going on?

We followed Kazu to a nearby room and inside the room were two other guards and a figure I couldn't make out right away strapped to a chair.

Upon walking closer, I noticed that a boy, only a few years older than me, was strapped to the chair. He looked weak and fragile, like he was starving.

Noticing my presence, he turned his attention over to me. He had bright red hair and big beautiful amber eyes. I wonder which district he comes from, could he be a Southerner? Northerner? More importantly, why is he here?

"Bow before the princess." One of the guards spoke as he forcefully lowered the boy's head. I didn't know who he was, he might be a new recruit since Kazu walked over to him and shook his head at him.

"Even if this child did wrong, we mustn't treat him with disrespect." Kazu explained as he removed the guard's hand from the boy. Just like Shiro, they both possess kind hearts.

"Please, tell us your name, won't you?" Kazu asked as he untied the ropes around the boy.

The boy continued to look at me, his amber eyes piercing. _So beautiful._ I thought as I found myself getting lost in his eyes.

"My name is Hisoka." He explained as he wrapped his hand around his injured wrist.

"Do you know why you are here?" I asked him.

"I was caught… stealing food from your leftover barrels." He admitted as he focused his gaze to the ground.

 _I knew it. He's starving. We can't punish him for something like this; we are to care for the people especially if they are on the verge of death._

"How many family members do you have?" I asked him.

He was caught off guard, before answering my question, his gaze returned to the ground, "It's just my mother, my father and me."

"Kazu-Nii," I began, "Can you tell the chefs to prepare a full course meal for three for Hisoka please?"

"Eh? Are you certain you should do such a thing Tsubaki-Hime?" The same guard as earlier asked.

"Yui, the princess's orders are absolute. If you are not going to abide by her orders, I suggest you leave the Royal Guards immediately." Shiro explained.

"I understand we are to follow the princess's orders but what are we supposed to report to the Queen?"

"Yes, what are you supposed to report to the Queen?" A sudden voice caught us all off guard. And when we turned our attention to the door, it was Mama, the Queen.

Everyone in the room bowed down to Mama, even me.

"What is going on here?" She demanded to know.

For a moment, no one answered her but we all know that silence is the worst way to answer Mama.

"Your Royal Majesty, we have apprehended this boy that was attempting to steal from our kitchen." Of all answers, Yui had to tell the truth. He really _is_ a new recruit since there are certain things we do and do not tell Mama and this was one of the things we absolutely do not tell Mama. However, it was already too late.

"I see." She began with a voice full of malicious intent. "And what did the princess order of you?" I already knew where this was heading and it seems like Kazu and Shiro did too as I was able to pick up faint sounds of sighing.

I rose from the ground and looked into Mama's cold blue eyes, "Mama, I take full responsibility for everything that has happened so far. Please allow Kazuto and Shiroki to fulfill my orders and let the boy leave in peace."

A smile formed on her lips as she turned her gaze from Hisoka to me, "I see. Then I shall see you in my Chambers immediately." Before she left, she turned her gaze back over to Hisoka and shot him a glare of death, "Boy, I do not care who you are and I do not care where you come from. However, if you dare come into my home again and steal what is mine, I will not hesitate to have you killed. Do you understand?"

Hisoka just looked at her and gave her a nod, I mean, after all that, what can you possibly say?

After Mama left, Kazu and Shiro each gave me an apologetic look.

"There's no need to be sorry. It's nobody's fault this has happened." I explained.

I turned my attention back over to Hisoka and grabbed a hold of his hand that was injured.

"Hisoka, I hope this food will help in some way and if there's anyway I can help you again, please let me know." I don't know why I told him that, there have been many thieves in our palace before and I've never made an offer like this but there's something about him; his aura, his presence, his life. There's something about him that I want to know more about.

So I leaned in and whispered in his ear to make sure no one can hear me, "There's a secret room near the garden located in the back of the palace. If you're able to get inside the palace, the garden should be a piece of cake for you. Behind the blue rose bush there is a statue with a secret passcode. Tap its belly twice and its head three times. Everyday I'm in the garden so if you leave me a sign, I will be there. Okay?"

He locked his amber eyes with mine and gave me a smile and nodded. There was just something about him that I couldn't let go of.

"Well Yui, since the Queen received the report from you, you and your partner should go guard the Queen's Chamber as she has her talk with Tsubaki-Hime." Kazu said.

"Kazu-Nii…" I know Kazu wants Yui to know the truth about Mama but not like this, it isn't right.

"How do you think _we_ found out Hime?" Shiro explained with his gentle voice.

"We'll find out whose side he's on when he leaves his post." Kazu said.

"I'll send Maria over after as well. Stay strong, Hime."

I could already tell Yui and his partner were worried as they gave each other confused looks but there's no way out of my punishment now so I left the room and both Yui and his partner followed. -

"Who do you think you are?" Mama's tone grew irritated, "What right do you have to order around the guards like that? You think you're better than me? You are the _Princess_ and _I_ am Queen. _My_ orders are absolute, not yours. You didn't even master the tea ceremony yet for the Fujiwara's visit. Why were you with the guards anyway? You should have begun studying for your next subject when I was talking with Maria."

Mama kept going on and on, without me having a word in edgewise. Her lectures were usually the same old stuff; I have no authority, I should only be studying, and everything is to be reported to the Queen, not to me. After about fifteen minutes of yelling (which could probably be heard through her chamber doors), she grabbed her cane that was stuffed inside her closet.

"You know the routine, we've done this countless times already. For today's punishment, the amount is fifty."

 _Fifty? Fifty whips? That's the most it's ever been._ As I was standing there taking in the information, Mama hit me behind my knees that caused me to fall over and bow before her. She pulled up a chair and began hitting my lower back fifty times. There was not a single word spoken for if I made even the slightest sound, Mama would double the punishment and I don't think I could handle 1OO hits.

After Mama finished, she placed the cane back into her closet and told me to leave her sight. I've been caned before but for some reason today hurt the most. Maybe it's because it was my lower back again and it hasn't fully healed from my caning two weeks ago.

When I left the room, I noticed Yui was shaking in his post. Looks like he and his partner have learned the truth. Would they leave? Would they stay? And if they stayed, whose words will they obey?

"Tsubaki-Hime," Yui begin, "I deeply apologize for my actions." Both he and his partner knelt before me, "We pledge our allegiance to you, Tsubaki-Hime."

"That's enough of that." That was Maria's voice and never have I ever been so happy to see Maria today. "Any louder and Tsubaki-Hime would have to return behind those doors. Come Tsubaki-Hime, let's have you patched up, Shiro-Sama would never forgive me if I let those wounds scar your back."

Making our way to my room, Maria treated the wounds on my back and bandaged me up. I feel bad that she's the one that has to patch me up but to me, Maria's the only one that's actually like a mother to me.

"Ne, Maria…"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." I said as I faced my head down into my pillow.

She put her hand on the back of my head and told me, "No, thank you. Thank you for giving me something to live for and someone to care for. I will always be here for you, Tsubaki-Chan." After hearing those words, I couldn't hold the tears in any longer and cried for the rest of the night.

* * *

Maria's P.O.V.

It seems she fell asleep; she's had a rough day. Carefully packing away the first aid kit, I tucked Tsubaki in and made my way quietly to the door. Opening the door I saw the King, Ikuto. Closing the door, I bowed before him and he gave me a smile.

"Maria," He began with a soft whisper, "If you could please join me in the dining hall, Shiro and Kazu are there as well. I heard some news that today was not a good day for my Tsubaki-Chan. I would like to hear a report please."

"Of course, Your Royal Highness." His voice was so gentle. Oh, how I've missed him.

Making our way to the dining room, I saw both Kazu and Shiro sitting at a small round table looking as if they were troubled over something. We all took a seat together and looked toward the King.

"Maria, Shiro, Kazu, first off, I want to thank the three of you from the bottom of my heart for taking care and watching over my Tsubaki-Chan. She's a really strong girl isn't she?" The King spoke with such high regard he clearly loved his daughter.

"We're terribly sorry for having dragged Tsubaki-Hime into today's affairs. We were unaware that the Queen's schedule had been cleared today." Shiro began with a voice of failure.

"Don't beat yourself over it, all three of you." The King explained. "I have tried talking to my wife about her actions but to no avail, she blames me for not disciplining Tsubaki correctly. However, with all the commotion we have going on currently, I haven't been able to spend time with Tsubaki lately. Heh, Tsubaki-Chan must hate me."

"That isn't true!" I spoke out hurriedly. I knew the others wanted to say the exact same thing as well. "Your Royal Highness, Tsubaki-Chan loves you with all her heart. She knows how busy you are and she makes up for your lost time by spending time with us three. I'm sure I speak for all of us here when I say that Tsubaki-Chan always speaks of you in the highest regard. She loves you my King and she always will, whether you are always by her side or not because she knows that you love her just as much."

"Thank you Maria." He looked as if he really needed to hear those words. _My King, You have been pushing yourself too hard._

"If you don't mind, do you know how long her punishment lasted?"

"According to the guards that were posted, she was punished for about 25 minutes." Kazu explained.

"After her punishment, Tsubaki-Chan decided to eat in her room and went to bed." I explained. I hate lying to the King but we have all already made a promise to not inform him of the truth. Who knows what would happen to this family when word gets out? One thing's for certain, The Queen and even Tsubaki-Chan has made it perfectly clear to all of this that not a word gets to the King. All he knows is that Tsubaki-Chan receives a strong lecture and has to do trivial things for the Queen.

"I see. I'll have to take some time to see her tomorrow. However, this is not all I wanted to discuss with the three of you. As you all know, the Fujiwara's will be arriving in a few days and they are the rulers of Southern Taira. The Elders have made it clear that they want to unite the two families."

 _Unite the two families? Then-_

"Your Royal Highness, are you saying Tsubaki is-" Shiro couldn't even bear to finish his thought even though we already knew what it was.

"As much as it pains me so, yes. Arrangements will be made for Tsubaki and the Fujiwara Prince to marry. This is what we have been preparing her for, to be the future ruler of Taira."

 _An arranged marriage, I knew it._ I wonder how Tsubaki-Chan will take the news when she learns that she's even restricted from marrying someone she falls in love with. _To marry someone you don't even know… How is it possible?_

I felt sudden warmth on my hands and when I looked to see whose hands were on mine, it was Shiro-Sama. He gave me a small smile and squeezed my hand tightly; I wonder what he was thinking.

"Your Royal Highness, we care about Tsubaki-Chan as much as you do and we will respect whatever decisions you have regarding the subject." Shiro spoke but I can tell that there was a sense of pain behind his voice. Just like me, Tsubaki was like a daughter to him.

"King, what are we to tell Tsubaki-Chan?"

"You will tell her nothing of this conversation. I will tell her once she masters the tea ceremony for the Fujiwara family. Do not worry you three, my daughter knows what it means to be a royal, she's going to be Queen one day, she knows she must put her country before herself. She will do what is right."

Even though he says that, I can tell even he has doubts stirring in his mind about the subject.

Before we knew it, the clock struck midnight and it was time for us to perform our usual nightly routine. Shiroki and Kazuto were the first to leave as they bowed before our King and made their way to their training grounds.

Following their lead, I got up as well and bowed before the king, however, before I could leave, I felt the warmth of a hand on my wrist.

"Maria," A deep yet gentle voice whispered in my ear, "I've missed you so. Thank you for taking care of my beloved daughter." Before I was even able to respond, he quickly turned me around and we locked eyes. His beautiful amethyst eyes shone brightly in that dark room and I couldn't help but let my guard down for a moment.

"Ikuto-Sama…" I whispered without thinking. He leaned in closer as if he wanted a kiss but I couldn't, not now. "Ikuto- er, my King, we mustn't do such things in public. If Aiko knew of our relationship she would certainly have my head."

"I am King, no one will speak a word of this and besides, it is only us two here. Aiko is asleep at this time doing her usual nightly routine. Have you not missed me Maria? The nights I've been apart from you, the feeling is similar to being away from Tsubaki."

"My King-"

"Call me by my name" He whispered into my ear.

"Ikuto-Sama" It just came out and I couldn't resist him anymore. He leaned in close and the warmth on my lips was something I haven't felt in a while.

"You should head back to your post Maria, goodnight my love." He kissed me on my forehead and his silhouette disappeared into the shadows of the halls.

 _If only I was royalty, we would have been wed, isn't that right, Ikuto-Sama?_


	2. The Meeting

Third Person P.O.V.

The next morning, Tsubaki woke from her sleep and immediately went to the garden before beginning her schedule for the day. Tsubaki made her way to the statue she told Hisoka about and noticed that a rose was placed in front of its feet.

 _He's here._ She thought to herself as she looked at the statue with a smile. Upon entering the passcode, a small door opened in the ground that revealed a stairway.

"You're here." A voice greeted Tsubaki as she reached the bottom of the stairs. It was Hisoka and he looked better than he did yesterday.

"I should be saying that to you. Did your family enjoy their meal?"

"They did, thank you."

Tsubaki gave a smile in return and walked closer to Hisoka. "I didn't really introduce myself did I? My name is Tsubaki, Sakurai Tsubaki and as you can tell, I am the Princess of Northern Taira. You call yourself Hisoka, is there anything else you can tell me about yourself?"

Hisoka hesitated for a moment before giving a small smile and explaining, "It seems a turn of fate will reunite us soon enough and you will learn what you wish to. I only came here to thank you for the food and for not killing me. Then, I'll be on my way, have a wonderful day, Tsubaki-Hime." Hisoka gave Tsubaki a respectful bow and made his way toward the exit.

"Wait! That's it, you only came here to thank me?"

"As I explained" Hisoka began as he turned to lock eyes with Tsubaki, "fate will reunite the both of us very soon." Hisoka gave a small smirk and proceeded to the stairs.

Tsubaki stood there for a moment with a confused expression on her face, "What did he mean by that? He really is a mysterious person."

. . .

Tsubaki's P.O.V

It's time to practice for the tea ceremony again and the Fujiwara's are coming over in three days! If only their tea ceremony was performed the same way, I would've mastered it already.

"Okay Tsubaki-Hime, we are going to try something different for today's practice. Since you've only been practicing with me, why don't we try to act out the ceremony as well and get you comfortable with the process before the Fujiwara's come over? We have a special guest for today's practice, so prepare your items okay?"

 _A special guest? For the tea ceremony? Who could it be?_ I thought to myself as I brought the tray of tea and knelt on the floor.

"Okay Tsubaki-Chan, are you ready to begin? Remember, eye contact is delayed until you hand over your tea."

"I understand I'm ready." As soon as I heard the doors open, I focused my gaze on the tray, fixed my posture, and took a deep breathe to relax. This may not be the real thing but good thing Maria suggested this, I would've panicked when it came time to do the real thing.

From what I could tell, it was a man sitting in front of me, I only saw his pants and loafers but it definitely was a man.

Okay, the first step is to gently grab the mortar and pestle and place it in front of me. Next, grab the leaves for the tea and sprinkle it into the mortar. Next is the hard part, graceful movement, what does that even mean? How do you crush tealeaves gracefully? I held onto the pestle differently this time and slowly grinded the leaves and to my surprise, Maria didn't stop me, does that mean I did it right? Well, I'll continue anyway. Place the leaves in the teapot, gently pour the hot water, and wipe the mortar and pestle clean. While we wait for the tea to steep, sweets are prepared and it is Southern tradition for the sweets to be given directly to our guests without looking at them. I grabbed a small piece of cake, stood from my position, knelt before my guest with my head bowed down and offered the dessert. I heard a small laugh before my guest took the dessert from my hand and ate it. Did I do something wrong? Anyway, the tea finished steeping so I removed the leaves and poured it into the cup designated for the guest. I gave my guest his cup and when I finally got a chance to look at my guest's face, I couldn't help but lose my grip and drop the teacup on the floor.

"Papa… Papa!" I jumped into papa's arms and he gave me a big hug as well as a kiss on the forehead.

"Hey little one, it's good to see you again too. I was only gone for about a week but you've improved a lot with the ceremony. However, I understand what Maria meant when she said you didn't exactly master it yet."

"Eh? What do you mean Papa? Maria didn't stop me this time, doesn't that mean I did it right?"

"Maria didn't stop you because I ordered her not to, I wanted to see if I could find the problem and you can bet I did." Papa positioned me better so that I could sit on his lap comfortably as he explained what I did wrong with the ceremony.

"You got the basics down Tsubaki but what you're missing is heart."

"Heart?" I asked questioningly.

"When it comes to the tea ceremony, you must remove all thoughts and focus on satisfying your guest. You worry too much about the technicality of the ceremony itself and the genuine feelings are lost. Don't think about it, just feel it and you'll do fine."

 _Don't think about it, just feel it._ Can I really do it?

"Shall we try again one more time?" Papa asked as he gave me a smile.

I nodded and cleaned the materials, as well as the shattered cup, as Maria went to get new ones. When it was time to restart the preparations, I did as Papa told me and stopped thinking so hard about it. I took a small deep breath and cleared my mind.

* * *

Ikuto's P.O.V

Her movements immediately changed when she stopped thinking so much about the ceremony and they appeared more graceful. Her gentle and graceful movement is what's necessary for the ceremony and it seems she finally mastered it. I couldn't help but give her a smile as I watched her grow so quickly.

My dear daughter, anyone will be lucky to have you as their wife and it seems that that time will come soon. You've made me so proud my daughter, I'm happy for you. However, it looks like I'll have to keep the engagement a secret until the ceremony, the Southerners really do do things differently than us.

"So, how was it?" Tsubaki asked with a concerned look on her face.

"You did fantastic, isn't that right Maria?"

"Absolutely. It looks like you finally mastered the ceremony Tsubaki-Hime."

"I'm proud of you my dear daughter." I couldn't help but give a big smile to Tsubaki and kissed her forehead once more.

She looked at me with her large amethyst eyes and returned my smile. Oh how I've missed my beloved Tsubaki, she's grown so much.

* * *

 _Three days later_

Third Person P.O.V

It is finally time for the Fujiwara's of Southern Taira to make their appearance at court and the palace was in a flurry getting everything prepared for the special visit.

Ikuto and Aiko were in their respective chambers preparing for the visit in a few hours, Maria and the other maids were making sure the decorations and meals have been successfully prepared and Tsubaki was in her room getting dressed in traditional Northern clothing which consisted of a kimono made of fabrics of light blues, whites, and accents of gold.

The ceremony starts in the common room right when the Fujiwara's arrive and after that, a special event has been prepared in the name of the King.

. . .

The sound of horse hooves clacking on the gravel caught the attention of many of the palace staff members as the members of the royal family made their way to the common room in preparation for the welcoming tea ceremony.

A carriage of red and gold was seen at the gates of the castle and out emerged a tall and proud looking King who bore the Fujiwara crest of a rose surrounded by its thorns. The King then held out his hand for his wife who wore a large and elegant kimono decorated with red and gold fabric. The King and Queen of Northern Taira stood with the utmost poise and grace that you were in awe when you saw them. The next person to emerge from the carriage was the Prince of the Fujiwara family and his name is Riku.

Riku is the same age Tsubaki and he wore a matching kimono with his mother as well as his family crest on a fabric draping over his chest. Riku possessed emerald colored eyes and messy dark brown hair. Riku gave off a presence of kind-hearted boy and he radiated a gentle aura.

The Fujiwara family was escorted to the common room where the Sakurai King, Queen and Princess were seen bowing before their guests. The Fujiwara's walked closer to the table setting and bowed before the Sakurai's.

The Kings and Queens of both houses returned to an upright sitting position and greeted each other with gentle smiles. Riku was the next to rise and he focused his gaze on the still bowing Tsubaki.

Her beautiful long white hair blended in with her kimono and even though, he has yet to see her full face, he already knew that she was as beautiful as described throughout Taira. As Riku was admiring Tsubaki's beauty, she slowly began to rise as her gaze was fixed upon the tea ingredients.

Just as she practiced the past four days, she prepared the tea while clearing her mind and Ikuto observed his daughter with pride as she managed to perform the ceremony with grace and elegance without making a single mistake. When Tsubaki poured the tea into the cup, she walked over to present it to the Prince and they finally locked eyes with one another.

Riku took the cup from her hands, took a sip of the tea and offered the cup back towards Tsubaki and this caught both Tsubaki and her mother off guard.

 _This- This is what Ikuto was talking about, this is what the surprise event is for? He's lucky this is with the Southern rulers of Taira or else I would have refused any other offers._ The Queen thought to herself as she continued her gentle façade in front of the Fujiwara's.

 _He returned the cup to me but in Southern Taira, when it comes to tea it's a… proposal… Could Papa and Mama have known about this? I have no choice but to say yes right?_ Tsubaki gave a small smile to Riku and took back the teacup as she also took a sip out of the cup symbolizing the acceptance of the union between the two families.

. . .

The Fujiwara's were shown to their respective rooms as Tsubaki and her family continued to the King's chambers to talk about the earlier affairs.

"Oi, Ikuto, you weren't going to tell me you were going to bargain her away?" Aiko questioned in her usual harsh tone.

"It was supposed to be a surprise and I was going to tell you both but the Southerners have a different way of doing things. The tea ceremony is a welcoming tradition to our palace and the sharing of tea between Riku and Tsubaki represents an attempt at a union, meaning marriage. Word of the plans was to not be made to those involved with the ceremony. I wished to tell you both but I am glad you studied the material I gave to Maria, Tsubaki."

"So, I had no choice but to say yes? Papa, we won't be married soon right?"

"Of course not, we are going to make preparations to allow Riku to stay with us for a few months and then you will do the same at the Fujiwara's. We are going to make this announcement public, in due time of course, and we need both nations to slowly accept the union before we make any drastic moves. That will give the two of you to get to know each other and hopefully, come to care for one another. That is why tonight, a ball is going to be held to celebrate this wonderful news. Close friends, family, and other royals will be joining us. I believe the Aomori family is in town for the next week or so, it'll be nice to have them here as well."

"Tsubaki, you better not screw this up, a union with the Northern family will finally give our country the stability it needs and other countries will finally open up its trade routes to us. The Southern family has access to more resources and if we can get a hold of that, our position will be more than secured."

"Aiko, our daughter just accepted a marriage offer she was not aware of to a boy she does not even know, I believe that is enough pressure for one person for today. Go get prepared, the ball will start shortly and I made sure to send the invitation to your sister and her husband. I want a word with my daughter alone, please."

Upon hearing that her sister will be arriving, Aiko was in a slightly better mood and made her way to her room to get prepared for the ball tonight. When it was just Tsubaki and Ikuto alone, Ikuto sat on the sofa and motioned for Tsubaki to sit beside him and she did as requested.

"Papa, I'm not upset or anything, just a bit surprised. This is my duty, as Princess, I am already aware of that. I just always thought that I would one day marry someone I loved."

"I know my darling Tsubaki, I hoped for that as well but the Elders have been pressuring me lately and it was the Fujiwara's themselves that have offered this proposal of marriage. I have looked into the background of Prince Riku and he is a kind and well-mannered Prince. The two of you will become great friends, and that is all I wish for you two. Even if love does not develop, a friendship will still hold the union together. I'm really proud of you my darling, and I will be beside you every step of the way."

"I know you will Papa, thank you."

Ikuto kissed Tsubaki's forehead and told her to prepare for the ball, the guests will be arriving soon.

* * *

Darkness has fallen in Taira and guests were making their way into the ballroom that was decorated with sparkling crystals and beautiful flowers of various kinds. The King and Queen of both Southern and Northern Taira were sitting together and talking to each other as they observed their children dancing among the guests. A lively and happy mood filled the room as everyone was sincerely enjoying himself or herself.

"So, Tsubaki-Hime, what's your favorite thing to do in your free time?' Riku asked as they were dancing together.

"Hmm, my favorite thing to do? Playing the piano and baking desserts with the bakers in the kitchen. What about you Riku-Ouji?"

"Reading and going out for walks with our family dog."

"Oh, you have a dog? How lucky! Mother is afraid of dogs so we can't have any, what breed?"

"A Jack Russell-Terrier, he's very energetic but really lovable, you'll be able to see him when you come to our palace. I'm sure he'll like you."

"Oh, those dogs are so cute! I've always wanted one!" The night continued on as Riku and Tsubaki got further acquainted with one another and soon it was time for guests to mingle with the royals. Riku made his way to a friend from Northern Taira and Tsubaki was looking for anyone she knew that was her age but since she didn't have much time to make friends, she simply stood near the dessert table and ate by her lonesome.

"A beautiful princess like you shouldn't be here by yourself." A familiar voice spoke from behind.

When Tsubaki turned around to face her guest she was shocked by his new appearance. A tux made for royalty with a golden sash decorated with three badges, a crest of the four suits from playing cards stitched onto his suit, and his crimson red hair glistening in the light.

"Hisoka? You… You are a royal? That crest, it belongs to the Aomori family. Then why… what? How?"

"I'm sure you have many questions and I will provide the answers as long as I have the honor of a dance." Hisoka asked as he held out his hand.

Tsubaki accepted his offered and they danced among the other guests.

Aiko was scanning the ballroom and a familiar red headed boy caught her attention. "Oi, Ikuto, that boy dancing with Tsubaki, who is he?"

"Ah, that's the Aomori Prince, Hisoka."

"Prince?!" Aiko couldn't believe the words she was hearing. That same Prince was in almost a week ago trying to steal from her kitchen and she threatened him in front of a handful of people.

"Why, is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing. I'm just glad he wasn't a marriage candidate, if I don't know of him then his family must not be rather large or important."

"They are royals in blood but their true profession is in the skill of magic. They travel throughout the different villages and perform magic, we were lucky to have them in our village, and their presence brings joy to every corner. Enjoy yourself Aiko, stop scanning and observing people and have fun. We rarely get the chance to do such things, so please, at least try to enjoy yourself."

"Yes, My King." Aiko replied with a faint smile.

"So why don't we start with your first question, Tsubaki-Hime?"

"Why were stealing from the palace bins? If you are royalty, you can certainly support yourself, isn't that true?"

"I have received word of a beautiful Princess that resides in the palace of Southern Taira and wanted to lay eyes on her myself. Who would've guessed that not only is she beautiful, she is kind." Hisoka gave a smile to Tsubaki that made her heart skip a beat.

"But why act like you were stealing?"

"In truth, my family is only a small family, we do not have the support of many royals or the resources to support or village like you or the Fujiwara's do. I have been providing for my village by stealing without my parents' knowledge. I'd rather dirty my hands to support my village than to have my people do it themselves."

"But you looked as if you were actually starving!"

"I didn't eat anything all day to look thinner than usual to pull off the theft. You were gracious enough to supply us with food to support those that wouldn't have made it another night without food."

"Is there anything else you're hiding from me, Hisoka-Ouji?" Tsubaki asked with a tone of mockery and shock.

"Haha, just Hisoka is fine but no, there is nothing else I am hiding from you, other than the fact that your people were right when describing their Princess and I'm glad I made the decision to break into your palace."

Tsubaki couldn't help but laugh at the way Hisoka casually spoke such dangerous words. "You are a very mysterious person, you know that?"

"And you, Tsubaki-Hime, you are very beautiful, inside and out, and I hope to make your acquaintance more often in the future, if you would allow me the honor."

Tsubaki gave a smile, "Absolutely, from the moment we met there was an air surrounding you that I was hoping to get to know more of."

"So I was not the only one that felt that attraction between us?" Hisoka said with a smirk that made Tsubaki respond with a small laugh.

As the mingling continued on, Tsubaki spent more time with Hisoka than she did with Riku and their night was filled with tons of smiles and laughter before Riku interrupted the two of them and asked for a dance with Tsubaki reminding her that she is now engaged to be married to the Prince of Northern Taira.

"I should be going, my family is booked to perform at an event tomorrow and the ride is about a half day's away. It was an honor and a pleasure speaking with you Tsubaki-Hime. Riku-Ouji." Hisoka gave a bow and quickly locked eyes with Tsubaki's before he made his way to the exit.

"That's the Aomori Family Prince, they're magic skills are quite remarkable, are you two are close?"

"Ah, yes. He's… a good friend." _Aomori Hisoka, thank you for your company tonight, you even made me forget that I was engaged. I hope to see_


	3. 15 Years Later

**[[ Hello everyone!**

 **Here is chapter 3 for you.**

 **I hope you enjoy, please R &R! (: ]]**

* * *

"Hisoka…" A soft voice called out.

At Sunshine Residence on Waffle Island lives a girl in her young twenties that resides in room 1B. The sun has made its claim on the sky and it's light shines through her window, yet she still remains asleep.

She tosses and turns in her sleep as if she is having a nightmare and as she lies on her left side, a crescent moon shaped birthmark is revealed on her right shoulder.

Her bed sheets are of a pure white and when the sun shines over her bed, her hair blends in with her covers.

As the warmth of the light continues to take over her bed, her dreams become more vivid and her soft voice fills the air in her room.

Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep! With the sound of the alarm clock ringing, her dreams have faded and she reaches for her clock in a half-awake, half-asleep state.

As she slowly opens her eyes, the warm light reflects off her beautiful amethyst eyes and they shine like gemstones. The clock reads 8AM and as she sat up on her bed, she looked at her wrist and on it was a gold charm bracelet. However, for a charm bracelet, there are only two charms on it: a blue crescent moon and a playing card with the joker on it. She looks at the bracelet with melancholy eyes and a sad face.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Who could it be so early in the morning?" she asked in between yawns as she got out of bed and walked towards the door.

As she opened the door an old woman was standing there with a basket of fruits. She was about 4 feet high, had medium length white hair that she put into a bun, was wearing a green kimono, and had a very kind aura surrounding her.

"Suno-baa!" the girl called out in a pleasant tone. "Good morning!"

"Good morning Tsubaki-chan, my garden has finally bloomed fruits. I had quite a few left over; I thought I'd bring some over to you." She said while holding up the basket of fruits.

"ah, thank you Suno-baa, I'll take those from you. Would you like to come in? Sorry my house is a little messy, I just woke up." She said while taking the basket and placing it on the kitchen counter.

"haha, don't worry about it honey. Why don't you go get ready and I'll make some breakfast for you." She said as she slowly walked into the room.

"Are you sure? Oh! Where are my manners, would you like some tea Suno-baa?"

"No, thank you, honey, please, let me make you breakfast, when exactly was the last time you had a home cooked meal? You can't live off room service all the time, you'll burn through all the money you worked so hard to get." The old woman stated as she pushed Tsubaki towards the bathroom.

"Well, if it's really no bother, can I take you up on that Suno-baa?"

"Of course!" She replied with a smile.

Tsubaki also gave a smile and started to get ready to shower and get ready for the morning.

The old woman's name was Setsuno and she lived in apartment 1A. She is a very kind and caring old woman, she is strong for her age and has always been nice to Tsubaki ever since she moved in four years ago. She cares for Tsubaki and worries about her because she fears that Tsubaki does not take care of herself too well. Setsuno is also a hunter and has been training Tsubaki with her Nen.

Setsuno walked to the refrigerator and grabbed the eggs and the milk. She walked around the kitchen to gather the ingredients needed to make pancakes.

While Tsubaki was in the shower, a sweet aroma filled the room. She grabbed her robe and wrapped her hair in a towel. She walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen counter.

"It smells delicious Suno-baa," she said with a smile on her face.

Setsuno placed a stack of three fluffy pancakes on a plate and placed it in front of Tsubaki. She cut up the fresh blueberries and strawberries and used it as a garnish. Then she finished the pancakes off with some whipped cream and maple syrup.

"Homemade pancakes; a family recipe. Try some Tsubaki." She said while handing Tsubaki a fork and knife.

Tsubaki dove right into the plate; she cut into the pancakes making sure to grab a piece of each item on the plate. She put it in her mouth and a smile appeared on her face.

"This is absolutely delicious, Suno-baa! I've never had pancakes like these before! So fluffy and sweet, a hint of vanilla, a little bit of dark chocolate, and the tartness from the berries just pulls everything together!" she said while continuing to fill her mouth with the pancakes.

"I'm glad you like them Tsubaki, whenever you feel like eating them please don't hesitate to ask." She told Tsubaki with a smile.

"Ne, Suno-baa…" Tsubaki's tone suddenly changed as she finished her breakfast.

"Yes? What is it?" Setsuno asked in concern as she washed the dishes.

"Thank you for taking care of me these past couple of years. If it hadn't been for you, I would've died that day…"

"But you didn't. You're here, right now. You're alive and training to get stronger to achieve your goals. You will find that boy you've been searching years for and maybe one day, you'll remember what happened in the past."

"I don't know how it's possible I have all these memories of him but I don't even know who he is exactly.

Clink!

The two ladies immediately reacted to the sudden sound and looked towards the front door.

"Suno-baa, it can't be them right?" Tsubaki whispers.

"Get dressed Tsubaki and grab whatever items you need, we need to leave immediately. Hurry! I'll prepare the room for our escape."

Tsubaki did as she was told and ran straight to her room. Tsubaki got dressed in a short white kimono decorated with blue flowers and with sleeves that dropped below her shoulders that fanned out at the ends. She quickly put on her white thigh high boots and placed her light blue rose hair clip in her hair. Grabbing a silver locket tucked away safely in her drawer and her katana that was placed under her pillow, Tsubaki was ready to make her escape.

In the meantime, Setsuno put sealing tags on the front door and on the wall surrounding the door, she then proceeded to the living room and placed the sealing tags in each of the four corners.

Setsuno then pushed the couch against the door and revealed a hidden door. On top of the door, Setsuno placed a software chip, which was actually a time bomb, and activated it to go off in five minutes. She then quickly ran tot eh door and focused her Nen into her ears. She heard footsteps not too far from their room.

"Hurry Tsubaki, we need to leave now!" Setsuno demanded as she opened the door that led to an underground tunnel system. The tunnel walls had level two seal tags placed on them and as they were running, they heard a loud bang behind the door.

"The intruders have entered, how much longer until the bomb activates?"

"Thirty seconds, keep running!" Setsuno explained. They both ran towards the exit with all their might and as they finally reached the door plastered with sealing tags a loud explosion was heard and a cloud of smoke was following behind them.

The tunnel shook violently and as Tsubaki looked back, she saw the tags activating, she opened the door quickly and shut it immediately.

The sealing tags that were placed in the tunnels and the room prevent outsiders from getting involved with the Nen bomb and it seals any reaction from the explosion that could affect others around them.

"Do you think it worked?" Tsubaki asked while gasping for air.

"Maybe… The Machiyo is strong, they're Northern Taira's assassination group after all. They were trained under your Mother and your Aunt; you know how ruthless they were."

"That's right, it's been over ten years since I left the family, I bet their training regime has changed drastically. So what do we do now? Relocate again?"

"No, they're up to something, I'm going to lead them away from here and look into the matter. As for you, I want you to take the Hunter Exam, I contacted the Chairman a while ago just in case something like this happened and he said that he will welcome you whenever. You're going to catch the next boat out of time and head toward the Hunter Exam Site."

"The Hunter Exam?" Tsubaki was shocked, she never thought of becoming a Hunter and she was always told to stay away because of the bounty that was on her head, "What about the bounty?"

"There may be a lot of people that know of the bounty but there are more that don't. Besides, joining the exam might be the safest place for you right now. Also, a Hunter's license will be a valuable asset, you can't always use your Princess title so your Hunter's license will make up for that. Now hurry and go, and most importantly Tsubaki-chan, stay safe and make some friends, okay?" Those were Setsuno's last words as she gave a smile to Tsubaki and disappeared from her sight.

Tsubaki looked towards the direction Setsuno left in and with a smile replied, "As you wish, Suno-baa." Tsubaki then looked towards the docks and immediately made her way to begin the Hunter Exam.

* * *

After Tsubaki got on board the ship headed for the hunter exam site, it made one last stop before reaching its destination. The boat headed to Whale Island to pick up a boy of about 12 years old. He had spiky black hair, wore green and red clothing and carried a fishing pole on his back. As he boarded the ship, he waved goodbye to the people of the island and told them the he will become the best hunter in the world.

"Hah! Best hunter in the world? You're kidding me! A kid like you? HAHAHA! Don't underestimate us kid. There are millions of skilled applicants every year trying out for this exam. Don't say stuff if you don't have anything to back it up." A passenger said.

"Then you would be wise to keep your mouth shut. This 'kid' seems to have more potential than you do. I suggest you don't underestimate him either." Tsubaki spoke as she stood up to the passenger who gave her a dirty look in return.

"Hey lady, if you aren't careful of what you say, you're going to have a target on your back." The man threatened.

However, in a blink of an eye, Tsubaki was behind the man with her katana at his neck, "I already have one. If you'd like to add another, it'll be no problem."

"N-no, that won't be necessary." The man said with panic.

Tsubaki released her katana and the man escaped from her grasp and returned to his own group.

"Whoa, that was cool, you're pretty fast too! I'm Gon, what's your name?" The young boy asked with large eyes.

"Tsubaki, pleased to meet you Gon." Tsubaki greeted with a gentle smile.

"There sure are a lot of people on board, huh?" The boy turned around and looked at the many faces on the boat but there were a few that stood out to him the most. There was a boy with medium blond hair wearing a blue and orange tabard with a white training suit under it and blue Chinese style flats looking out at sea. There was also an older looking guy with black spiky hair wearing a navy blue business suit and a small pair of tea shade sunglasses sitting and reading a magazine.

"Quite. There are also some pretty impressive people on here; I'm excited to see what this exam has to offer. "

Tsubaki and Gon continued to get to know one another as they walked around the boat. They then saw a crew member named Katzo get bullied by the other crewmates but before either of them were able to help in anyway, the Captain of the ship walks out of the cabin and tells Katzo to stop dillydallying. The captain is a fairly large built man with a red nose and is carrying a bottle of beer with him.

Amidst the chaos, Gon looked towards the sky and examines the seagulls.

"There's going to be a storm coming," Gon stated.

Tsubaki looked at Gon in surprise and also examined the sky.

"How do you know that?" The Captain questioned.

"The seagulls; they are warning each other about a storm. Also…" The boy started to sniff the air and then he jumped to the crow's nest, cleared his airway and smelt the air. "It's a huge storm that's coming! I can tell by the smell!"

The captain was surprised. _That boy… Those eyes... Could he be?_

Soon after, the sky darkens, rain falls, and the waves are rushing outrageously. As the captain tries to control the boat, the applicants on board are thrown around the ship and many fall ill. The captain hands the helm over to one of the crewmembers and goes to check on the applicants. He sees many of them piled on the floor with no strength to move.

 _Pathetic. Haha, and they're supposed to be taking the hunter exam._

"Here are some herbs, it'll help make you feel better" The boy in green said to one of the sickly passengers.

"water…" a sick man said.

"it's gonna be here soon." Gon explained.

 _Hmmp, that boy really is something. Oh?_ As the captain looked around he saw the blond haired boy in the hammock reading a book as if nothing happened.

"Whoo! This is one sour apple." The man in the business suit said while spitting out the bite he took from the green apple.

He also saw Tsubaki with a bucket of water and washcloths as she was trying to calm the other applicants and cool them down so they don't get any sicker."

 _I see… Looks like we have some tough nuts on board._

The captain then summons the four well applicants to another room and begins to question them.

"What are your names?" he asked.

The 12-year-old boy raised his hand and shouted, "I'm Gon!"

"Kurapika" the blonde said with no interest.

"Leorio" the man in the business suit replied.

"Tsubaki" The white hair girl answered with a smile.

"Why do you guys want to become hunters?" the Captain questioned.

"We don't need to answer you! If you're not an examiner, we don't need to tell you anything!" Leorio stated in a harsh tone

"Just answer me" the Captain said.

"My dad is a hunter" Gon began to speak. "I left whale Island because I wanted to know why my dad wanted to become a hunter."

 _Whale Island… So this is Ging's son. The time has finally come, huh?_

"Hey Kid!" Leorio yelled. "Why did you answer him?"

"eh? Why can't I tell him why I'm here?"

"Nevermind, but I'm absolutely not revealing why I'm here."

"I agree with Leorio, if I were to tell you why I'm here, I would be revealing my deepest secrets." Kurapika said while tightly holding his hand over his heart.

"Hey!" Leorio yelled while pointing at Kurapika. "Aren't you younger than me? How about showing respect and calling me Leorio- _san_!"

"As for me…" Tsubaki began to speak.

"Oi! Are you guys ignoring me?!"

"This is the only safe place I could be and… I have someone I need to find." She said with a determined face.

"If you're looking for someone why not just go to the police? Do you really need to become a Hunter? I mean the business of a Hunter is pretty dangero-" Before Leorio could finish his sentence, Tsubaki took her katana and placed it right under Leorio's chin.

"Using the police to do a job like that is like asking them just throwing their lives away. The person I'm looking for is no weakling. He could probably kill us all in an instant. That is how I remembered him and it's been over 15 years since then, how much stronger do you think he's gotten?"

Leorio gave a gulp. "I got it… Please just put that away" Tsubaki did as she was told and apologized.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to resort to any violence…"

"Well now that we're all calm, you two still won't answer me?" The Captain looked at Leorio and Kurapika and only silence was given. "Very well then, tell the Examination board that we have 2 more dropouts"

"What do you mean?" Leorio asked confusingly.

"You guys don't get it do you? The exam has already started."

"What?!" Leorio and Kurapika suddenly got serious.

"Every year, there are tons of applicants and the Board does not have time to go through and review all of them. That's why they hire us: to trim the fat. So think carefully before you answer my question" It was silent for a period of time.

"I am the last survivor of the Kurta clan." Kurapika began. "Four years ago my clan was annihilated by the Phantom Troupe. I wish to become a Hunter and hunt them down."

"So you want to be a Bounty Hunter, huh? The Troupe is a Class-A bounty, you'd be throwing away your life."

"I do not fear death. What I fear most is that my rage will fade over time." Kurapika speaks with an unwavering determined voice and his eyes flash a beautiful crimson color.

"So it's just for revenge, do you need to become a Hunter for that?" Leorio asks.

"That's the most stupidest question I've ever heard Leorio." Kurapika retaliated.

"That's Leorio-san to you!"

"Places that are only accessible to Hunters, information you can obtain, actions that are impossible otherwise… There are many more reasons but it's pointless to explain to you."

"Why you!" Leorio's angered reached its boiling point.

"Hey! Why do you want to become a hunter Leorio-san?" Gon intercepted Leorio's anger and managed to calm him down.

"Me?" he gave a sly grin "I'll keep it short and to the point. I want money. Money can get you everything in the world!"

"Too bad money can't get you class Leorio" Kurapika said.

Leorio has begun to get angry again. "That's the third time. Step outside. I'll end the filthy Kurta Clan bloodline once and for all." Leorio began to walk to the door.

"Take that back Leorio!" Kurapika demanded, as he felt offended and insulted.

As Leorio was walking out the door he said, "It's Leorio-san to you."

With the storm raging on outside the two boys stepped to the deck and wanted to have a duel.

"Take back what you said Leorio! If you take it back, I'll forgive you!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, it's Leorio-san! You should show me some respect! I'm not backing down!" Leorio then takes a small blade out.

"I guess I have no choice" Kurapika takes out his bokken sword.

As the two continue to argue, a waterspout begins to emerge and the Captain orders the crewmember to go lower the sails. Gon and Tsubaki offer to help but before Tsubaki can leave, the Captain asks her to stay.

"Tsubaki was it?"

"Yes, is something wrong?"  
"No, just," The Captain begins to talk in hushed tones, "The Hunter Committee will do the best they can to protect you. Long live the Princess."

"You-"

"My family lived in Northern Taira when your Father ruled, they had high expectation of you, you were going to be their Queen and unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse, didn't they?"

As Tsubaki and the Captain were finishing up their conversation, the crewmembers and Gon were out on the deck trying to lower the sails.

After a short while Tsubaki came up to help but before she could grab onto the ropes the rate of the wind increased and Katzo was thrown off the ship. Leorio and Kurapika watch this happen with shock on their faces and rushed over to try and grab him but they missed his legs and then they see Gon jump off to grab onto Katzo's legs. The two quickly grabbed onto Gon's legs and Tsubaki and the crewmembers ran to quickly pull them up.

The next morning, as the storm cleared away Leorio, Kurapika, Gon and Tsubaki were on the deck.

"You idiot! If we hadn't grabbed onto your legs, you would've been shark bait!" Leorio said.

"You really are reckless, you know that?" Kurapika added.

Tsubaki walked up behind Gon and patted his head, "But you're a good boy. Thank goodness you're safe and to take a risk like that to help a friend, you really are a kind boy Gon," she said with a smile.

"But you know… you guys did catch me. You both caught me." Gon said with a big smile on his face as he looked toward Leorio and Kurapika.

"Gon!" Katzo came to the deck and bowed respectfully to Gon.

"Thank you for saving my life Gon!"

"It wasn't just me" He looked over to Kurapika and Leorio, "They helped save you too."

Katzo turned to them and gave them a bow as well. "Thank you very much!"

"No, you don't need to thank me" Kurapika said with a straight face.

"Yeah, I'm just glad you're okay!" Leorio said with a smile.

"Hai! I'll be returning to my post now!" Katzo waved goodbye and returned to the cabin.

"I apologize for my rude behavior." Kurapika began, he faced Leorio and continued, "I'm sorry, Leorio-san."

Leorio started to get all flustered, "Now we just sound like strangers… You can just call me Leorio, Leorio's fine." Kurapika gave a smile. "Also…I'm sorry. I take back everything I said, I was wrong."

Gon and Tsubaki looked at each other and gave a smile; they then noticed the captain in the doorway of the cabin.

"I like you guys! Okay, I'll be bringing the four of you to the closest port to the exam site. All four of you pass!" Leorio and Kurapika had a big smile on their faces.

"Yay!" Gon and Tsubaki cheered and jumped in excitement.

Thus began the journey that will change the lives of these four forever.

* * *

 **[[ I will be following the parts of the anime in regards to the Hunter Exam so it'll be fun to recreate it with Tsubaki in the mix.**

 **Thanks for taking the time to read this! ]]**


	4. The First Test

**[[ Another chapter for you lovelies! ]]**

* * *

Following the Captain's approval, Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Tsubaki were taken to Dolle Harbor. Leorio, Kurapika, and Tsubaki got off the boat first and explored the Harbor as Gon stayed behind and talked with the Captain.

"Thank you Captain! I had a great time!" Gon said while giving a hearty handshake to the captain.

"Haha, as did I!" The captain said. "Oh right! How about a piece of advice, think of it as a token of my appreciation."

"Advice?" Gon questioned.

"Look" The captain pointed at the hill way past the buildings of the city. "You see that big cedar tree on top of that hill there? You should make your way towards there first. It's a shortcut to the exam site"

"Okay, thank you for everything captain!"

"Haha, no problem! Best of luck!"

"You too! Take care!" Gon yelled as he ran toward the opposite direction.

Gon caught up to the others and told him the Captain's news as they consulted a map to see where they are headed.

"That's odd." Leorio stated, "I received a notice saying that the exam is going to be held in Zaban City and right now we're here" Leorio pointed at the top left of the map. "But if we head in the direction of that tree, it's in the opposite direction of the exam site"

"Are you sure you heard him right? Maybe you misheard him?" Tsubaki questioned.

Gon shook his head, "No, he told us to head toward that cedar tree" Gon said while pointing to the map.

"I see..." Kurapika pondered.

"And this notice isn't any help! I mean, where exactly are we even supposed to go in Zaban City?" Leorio exclaimed.

"This is like another test before taking the Hunter Exam, we're supposed to find the exam site with as little as information as possible." Kurapika said.

"I-I knew that! You don't have to tell me, I already knew that!" Leorio was getting all flustered.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go take a look. There had to be a reason why the captain would give such advice" Gon then started to head toward the cedar tree.

"I agree" Tsubaki added, "It's not like he couldn't have been trusted, there had to be some reason why. I'll be going there too." Tsubaki then followed behind Gon.

"Hey, hey! Are you guys serious? The bus leading to Zaban is about to leave" Tsubaki and Gon didn't stop and continued walking waving goodbye to Kurapika and Leorio. "Jeez, those two need to understand that they can't trust everyone in the world."

Kurapika then started walking in the direction that Tsubaki and Gon had went, "Both of their actions are more interesting to me than the captain's advice. I'll be going with them too."

"I see. Well then, see ya. It wasn't very long but nice meeting you" Leorio said while heading toward the bus.

As he was walking toward the bus he passed an alleyway where there were two men talking, "So it's true. Looks like none of the buses made it to Zaban City." One of the men said.

"Haha, rookies usually fail this part of the test because they're too naïve." Said the other. After hearing such information Leorio turned around and ran to catch up with Kurapika, Tsubaki and Gon. "Wait for me!"

As Gon, Tsubaki, Kurapika, and Leorio followed the path towards the cedar tree, they passed through a supposedly empty village, and something struck them as odd and what they didn't know was that they were being followed.

Ca-Caww! The sounds of crows echoed throughout the air.

"This place sure is creepy, I don't see anyone around" Leorio said with a shaky voice.

"No, there are people around" Tsubaki said as she examined the village.

As the four looked around the village, a door opened and they assumed the position of defense. What came out of the door, however, was a group of people wearing white gowns and masks holding instruments and an old women sitting behind a wooden stage.

"What is this?!" Leorio said shocked.

"Exciting…" Began the old woman

"E-Exciting?" Leorio said while giving a gulp.

"Exciting two choice quiz!" The old woman yelled at the group.

The masked people behind the old woman played a song to start the quiz and a blank face appeared upon the group.

"You guys are headed for the tree on top of that hill, correct? To reach that tree, you need to pass through this village."

"What do you mean?" Tsubaki asked.

"I will administer a single question quiz and you'll have five seconds to answer. If you answer incorrectly, you'll be disqualified and you'll have to give up on this year's Hunter Exam."

"I see…" Kurapika began, "This is part of the Hunter Exam."

"I get it…Well, I happen to be an expert at quizzes." Leorio said with a confident tone.

"You will answer either 1 or 2, if you give any other answer then it will be incorrect."

"Hold on!" Leorio interrupted. "All four of us have to share one question? So if one of them answer incorrectly, I get disqualified too?"

"As if that would happen," Kurapika retorted, "If anything, what scares me the most is the vice versa happening."

"What did you say?! Why, you-"

"Please stop fighting the two of you. We all have the same goal right now and that's to make it to the Exam Site." Tsubaki interrupted trying to calm everyone down.

"But you know, this way it's easier, I'm no good at quizzes anyway." Gon said while giving a chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess" Leorio said.

"Fair point" Kurapika declared.

"After all, we're all in this together aren't we?" Tsubaki said with a smile.

"Hey, can you guys hurry up? Or else, I'll be answering first." A mysterious voice said. As the group turned around they saw a guy about the same age as them.

"Who are you?" Leorio questioned.

"He followed us from the port" Tsubaki said.

"So what're you gonna do?" The man asked.

"Why not let him go first?" Leorio suggested. "He seems eager to take it and that way, we'll learn what kind of question to expect."

One of the masked persons walked toward the man that followed the group and began. "Then, we'll start with you" He put a podium stand in front of the man and the man gave a smirk _. Fools. I'll be leaving a trail of traps behind me anyway._

"Then here's your question" the old lady began, "Evil villains have captured your lover and mother. You can only save one. Choose 1 for your mother or 2 for your lover. Who will you save?" The group of four had surprised expressions on their faces.

"How is something like this considered a quiz?" Tsubaki asked.

The man then pressed the buzzer as if he needed no time at all to think about the question. "The answer is 1."

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

"Because you can't replace your mother. But you _can_ find a new lover."

"Wha-" Before Leorio could finish his sentence, Tsubaki held out her hand to stop him. _A thought like that, will only lead to unhappiness._ Tsubaki had a solemn look on her face.

The old lady pointed through the door and told him, "You may pass"

"What?!" Leorio blurted out.

The man gave a smirk and told them, "You just have to tell the old lady what she wants to hear. Bye!" The man then ran through the door.

"Hey! This is full of crap! We just have to tell the old lady what she wants to hear?! How is that even considered the right answer?!" Leorio was getting really angry that he couldn't control himself. "Hey, say something old lady!"

Not a word came from the lady and everyone was just silent.

"I'm not putting up with something like this! I'm going to find a different route!" As Leorio was starting to walk away, the old lady began to talk.

"It's too late. Refuse to take the quiz and you'll be disqualified."

"That's ridiculous! There is no right answer to any of this!"

Hearing Leorio make that statement an idea popped into Kurapika's head.

 _No right answer… I see!_ "Leorio!"

"WAIT!" The old lady blurted out. _The boy figured it out._ "Not another word from you. Say anything but the answer and you're immediately disqualified."

Kurapika had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. _Wake up Leorio It's a simple trick!_ Kurapika then looked over towards Tsubaki and she gave a slight nod in Kurapika's direction. _It seems Tsubaki's got it, jeez. I hope the other two get it too._

"Now here is your question. Your son and daughter have been kidnapped, you can only rescue one. Choose 1 for your son and 2 for your daughter. Who will you save?"

Leorio's anger has reached its boiling point; he looks at the old woman with harsh eyes and clenched teeth. _She's making fun of us!_

"Five" The old woman begins counting down.

Leorio then walks over to the side of a house and picks up a wooden stick.

"Four"

 _Go ahead and count down you old hag._

"Three"

As the old woman was counting down, no one spoke a word.

"Two. One. Buzz. Time's up!"

Leorio then leapt with the wooden stick to attack the old woman, instead of causing harm to the woman, Kurapika intercepted.

"Don't try to stop me Kurapika! I need to teach this old hag a lesson!"

"Calm down Leorio!"

"How am I supposed to calm down?!"

"You'll waste our correct response!"

Surprised took over Leorio's face. "Correct response?"

"We gave the right answer" Tsubaki butted in. "Silence was the correct response, right Kurapika?" She said with a smile.

"Silence? What do you mean?" Leorio asked.

"That's right. Leorio, you hit the nail on the head when you said earlier that 'there is no right answer'. And that's how it is; there is no right answer to this quiz. We were only allowed to state one or two, meaning we weren't supposed to respond at all. Silence was the only response."

"But what about the other guy?!"

"She never said it was the correct answer" Tsubaki said "She only said, 'you may pass'"

"In other words" Kurapika said, "This path is the wrong path, am I right?" He said while looking at the old woman.

The old woman gave a smirk and said; "Precisely, the real path is over here" She walked toward two red doors being pulled open by the masked people. Through the door were nothing but darkness and a small opening of light. "This leads directly to the tree. Walk two hours and you'll reach the top. There's a couple that lives in a cabin underneath that tree and they serve as Navigators. If you meet their expectations then they will guide you to the exam site."

Leorio dropped the wood stick and walked toward the old woman, "Granny, I'm sorry for my rudeness"

"Don't be. I don't mind. I do this job because I enjoy meeting people like you. Do your best to become a good Hunter." She said with a smile.

"Yes." Leorio responded with a smile.

"Haaa!" Gon gave a sigh and dropped on his butt to the floor. "No matter how hard I think, I still can't find an answer."

"You were still trying to find an answer? You can stop." Leorio said

"eh? Why?"

"The quiz is over"

"I know. But… But you know, what if I do run into a situation like that and can only save one person. What would I do then?" Hearing those words from Gon caught Kurapika, Tsubaki and Leorio off guard. "Choosing one just wouldn't be right. But I might have to make that choice one day." Silence befell everyone.

 _That's right. That's the true purpose of this test. You must be prepared to face the worst possible scenarios because a harsh reality strikes without warning._

The four said goodbye to the old woman and walked through the door towards the light. As they finally got out of the tunnel they were greeted by darkness and followed the path that could barely be made out by the dim light at the end of the path.

"it's completely dark out…" Leorio said. "'Walk two hours' she said. It was two hours, two hours ago!" As the group continued walking they walked up to a sign that read: BEWARE OF MAGICAL BEASTS! "Another 'beware of magical beasts' sign? Are we ever gonna make it to the exam site?"

Gon, Kurapika and Tsubaki who has walked farther ahead than Leorio finally saw the cabin and tree not too far from them. They managed to walk to the cabin and Leorio knocked on the door. There were no lights on in the house; the area was surrounded in compete darkness.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Leorio called out.

"Maybe they're out?" Gon asked.

Leorio reached for the doorknob and tried to open it. The door was unlocked and they entered inside, "We're coming in!" Leorio said.

Upon entering the cabin, they noticed that there was broken glass and furniture everywhere. They also saw a big yellow fox looking creature standing above a woman. The creature looked back at the group of four smiling and its eyes shining a crimson red color.

"It's a magical beast!" Tsubaki shouted. Everyone got on the defensive, Tsubaki pulled out her Katana, Kurapika, his bokken swords and Gon, his fishing rod.

"Magical beasts?" Leorio asked with a shaken voice.

"A transforming magical beast, the Kiriko! They can even take human form! They're extremely intelligent creatures." As the Kiriko turned around, he revealed a woman that he was holding in a tight grasp.

"There's a woman in his arms!" Gon yelled.

"And the man on the floor needs medical attention!" Leorio stated.

The Kiriko then leaped and jumped through the glass window.

"Please… Please save my wife" the man on the floor said, he was covered in blood and was trembling all over.

Leorio and Tsubaki rushed over to aid the injured man.

"Leorio, Tsubaki, we'll leave the injured man to you!" Kurapika yelled while he and Gon leapt out the window to go after the Kiriko.

"Got it!" Leorio and Tsubaki yelled.

While on the chase for the Kiriko, only a faint shadow can be seen though the forest. Gon is able to see the shadow and follow it with ease. Kurapika is surprised by the fact that Gon can see while it's so dark out. Gon then jumps up on the trees and Kurapika continues on the ground. Kurapika is surely impressed. Gon is able to catch up with the Kiriko above the trees and says to it, "Kiriko! Let the woman go!"

"Take her from me, if you can!" The Kiriko replied while running even faster. Caught off guard by the Kiriko's ability to talk, Gon fell from the tree and landed with Kurapika.

"Wow! He can talk!"

"Yes, they are able to use human speech."

"Oh. Then that makes this a lot easier. Hey, Silly Kiriko!"

"What?!" The Kiriko turned around and saw Gon behind him; he jumped from the ground and prepared his fishing rod to attack the Kiriko. _He's fast!_ Gon managed to land an attack on the Kiriko causing it to lose its grip on the lady and dropping her.

"Kurapika!"

Reacting on a cue, Kurapika then leapt into the air and caught the lady safely. "He's so reckless…" The Kiriko then runs off and Gon pursues it. Kurapika looks at the lady and asks, "Are you okay? Are you injured?" The lady has marking on her face; like a tattoo. The tattoo's designs resemble that of a fox.

"I'm alright. What about my husband?"

"He's alright, our friends are taking care of him"

"Please take me to my husband!" She said in a frantic voice.

Kurapika looks at her wrist and sees a familiar tattoo mark. She hides the tattoos quickly as soon as she realizes they have been revealed. _Those tattoos…_

"You're-" Before Kurapika could finish his thought he was cut off by a voice behind him.

"Kurapika!" Kurapika turned around and saw Leorio run towards him. "You okay?"

"Leorio?"

"Guess you guys are alright, thank goodness"

"How's the man? And where's Tsubaki?"

"Oh no worries, his wounds weren't as deep as they looked. I gave him some painkillers and he's asleep in the cabin. Tsubaki wanted to stay with him and make sure he was all right. She told me she'll catch up with us in a bit."

With only silence from Kurapika, he took his bokken swords and struck Leorio. Leorio leapt back holding his head in his hands.

"Hahaha, how did you know? How did you know I was an imposter?" Leorio asked while slowly transforming into the Kiriko.

"I didn't think that you were. I told Leorio and Tsubaki to take care of the injured man and they consented. Given the fact that the magical beats are still loose, I attacked you for foolishly leaving an injured man on his own with Tsubaki. That's all."

The Kiriko then leapt away and out of sight.

"Now I need you to answer my question" Turning his attention back to the woman, Kurapika raised his sword up to the woman's chin. "Who are you?" The woman only replied with a smile.

In his pursuit to catch the Kiriko, Gon lost sight of him. While trying to pinpoint the Kiriko's location, Gon managed to spot the Kiriko jumping from tree to tree. "Wait!" While lunging after the Kiriko, Gon accidentally jumped off a mountain and with his quick reflexes, he used his fishing rod to fling himself back up by swinging it over a tree branch. As he returned to flat surface, the Kiriko was sitting on a tree next to him.

"For a kid, you're pretty quick. Didn't expect you to land a blow on me." The Kiriko then jumped off the tree and landed right in front of Gon. "You're about to discover the high price that accomplishment came with!" The Kiriko yelled while raising its claws over Gon getting ready to attack him. Gon looked around his area as if he was looking for something. "Who are you?" he asked. The Kiriko was caught off guard. "You aren't the one I hit. Are you his friend?"

"How can you tell I'm not the same one?"

"Huh? Well your faces are totally different."

"Hahahahaha!" The laughter of the Kiriko caught Gon off guard.

Back at the cabin, Tsubaki, Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, the two Kiriko, and the husband and wife had gathered.

"Hey sweetheart, how long has it been since someone was able to tell the two of us apart?"

"Can you tell their faces and voices are different?" Leorio asked Kurapika and Tsubaki.

"No, not at all…" Kurapika said.

"Only their voices, I was able to tell. Not so much their face." Tsubaki stated.

"What? You're able to hear the difference in their voices?!" Leorio asked.

"Hai… My hearing is more developed, my family was a family of musicians."

"You see" Gon interrupted. "The one Kurapika and I beat up is the husband"

 _Which one are you talking about?_ The same though went through Kurapika and Leorio's head.

"We're the Navigators, our family provides support for the Hunter Exam" said the Kiriko husband.

"I'm their daughter," said the lady.

"And I'm their son," said the man.

"The exam site changes every year, it's pretty difficult to locate it," said the wife.

"So we Navigators help by guiding the applicants to the site," said the husband.

"But we don't help every candidate" the daughter added, "We test the applicants to see if they're qualified to take the exam. Kurapika-Dono."

"Yes?"

"You successfully used the vaguest of hints to determine that we weren't spouses. The hint was this tattoo," She said while holding up her arm and using her hand to wipe away the marks of the tattoo. "Which in this region, mark a woman as single for life. Kurapika-Dono demonstrated that he is very knowledgeable. Therefore, he passes."

"Haa…" Kurapika gave a relieved sigh.

"You did it Kurapika!" Gon praised him.

"Thanks" he said with a smile.

"However" the son interrupted "Leorio-Dono and Tsubaki-Dono, you never realized my true identity. But Leorio-Dono, you dressed my wounds faster and thoroughly than any doctor. As for Tsubaki-Dono, you continuously assured me that my wife would be alright and I can tell you had your suspicions about me but it seems that you couldn't quite figure it out. However, I do praise you for being very observant."

"S-Stop it. You're embarrassing me." Leorio started to get all flustered.

Tsubaki looked at Leorio and gave a giggle. "hehehe"

"The kindness that you two showed to me tonight makes you both worthy of taking the Hunter Exam"

"Really? Thank goodness!" Filled with relief, Leorio sunk to the floor and gave an exhausted body expression.

"Hehe, congratulations Leorio!" Tsubaki said with a smile.

"You too, Tsubaki. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you." Leorio replied with a smile.

"You did it, you guys!" Gon said with praise.

"And finally, Gon-Dono…" Said the husband. "Your superhuman physical abilities and powers of observation make you worthy to take the hunter exam. You pass" A smile formed on all four applicants faces as they each gave a high five to each other. "We'll now take you to the exam site." The Kiriko spread their wings and had each of the four applicants hold onto their legs as they fly to the exam site.

"Isn't it great that we all passed?" Gon said.

"it's still too early to celebrate, this just means we have the right to take the exam" Kurapika said.

"He's right" Tsubaki added "after this, we will be faced with many trials and challenges that will either make us stronger or make us realize how weak we are."

As the four enjoy their journey through the sky, they become one step closer to becoming a hunter but they haven't even reached the starting line yet. What will they face when they reach Zaban city?


	5. Hunter Exam: Start

**[[ And another chapter!**

 **Next few chapters will be flashbacks just to let you know.**

 **I will be switching between the past and present often so bear with me please.**

 **Thanks again for reading lovelies! ]]**

* * *

Tsubaki, Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika have finally reached Zaban City with the aid of the Navigators. As they reached Zaban City it was filled with much noise and happiness. The streets were filled with vendors and the townspeople were enjoying themselves and buying things.

"As Navigators, it is our job to deem someone worthy enough to take the exam; in other words, you can't find the exam site without a Navigator's help" Said the Kiriko son.

He led the group of four through the village plaza and took them to a very tall and grand building.

"So this is the exam site?" Leorio said, "This is what draws…"

"Hunter applicants from across the world" Kurapika said finishing Leorio's sentence.

"This is it, my first shot at the Hunter Exam! Was this how dad felt when he first took the exam?" Gon said excitingly.

"It's finally time…" Tsubaki said.

"Hey guys!" The Kiriko son interrupted. "It's over here," he said while pointing at a very small restaurant located next to the tall building.

"Hey, this isn't funny" Leorio said, "This is where Hunter applicants from all over the world gather to take the Hunter Exam? Isn't it just an ordinary restaurant? You're not telling me that we're meant to gather here are you?"

"Oh but I am. No one would ever expect the Hunter Exam, with its millions of applicants to assemble here, right?"

"Well that's true…"

"Shall we get going?" The Kiriko son opened the door to the restaurant and the group of four followed after. As they entered the restaurant they saw the chef sautéing a piece of steak.

"Welcome!" The chef greeted them.

"Is the back room open?" the Kiriko son asked.

"What will you have?"

"The steak combo that opens your eyes to the light. For four…"

"For four… How would you like them?"

"Grilled over a low flame, until cooked"

"Got it. Let yourselves into the back room."

The group of five did what they were told and walked towards the back room. The room was a bit small for five people and there was a circular dining table with four chairs in the middle of the room.

"Wait here" the Kiriko son said.

"Wait? Where are the others?" Leorio asked.

"Man, I can't wait for that steak combo" Gon said.

"Gon, that was just the password to get us in" Kurapika said.

"Aww, we don't get to eat?" Gon said.

"One in every ten thousand…" The Kiriko son interrupted, "the number of applicants to make it this far. You guys have done extremely well for first timers. Good luck."

"Thanks!" Gon said while extending his arm out for a handshake. The Kiriko son was taken aback for a moment but shook hands with Gon and gave a smile.

"I would be happy to serve as your Navigator next year, as well." And with those words the Kiriko son left the room. Once he left the room, the room started to shake as if an earthquake occurred.

"What's going on?" Leorio asked.

"It looks like this room is an elevator," Tsubaki said.

The four then looked above the door they entered in and saw a sign that read "B / 6. B / 7…"

"He expects us to fail this year, that damn Navigator" Leorio said while taking a seat.

"Once every three years" Kurapika said "the odds of a rookie passing the exam"

"Really? That's pretty unusual." Tsubaki said.

"Some cannot endure the physical and mental strain. It's also not unusual for veterans to break the rookies, who consequently never retake the test."

"So the candidates are willing to risk everything to become a Hunter." Tsubaki said.

"Of course! Hunters make the most money in the world!" Leorio said with the biggest grin on his face.

"No!" Kurapika rebutted, "Hunters are the most noble in the world!"

"Glory hog!"

"Money grubber!"

"Gon! Tsubaki! Listen, every year, over fifty hunters make the list of the world's hundred richest people!"

"Hunters are associated with hunting wild game and treasure but they are all second-rate. Real hunters work to protect people and the natural order!"

"Look here!"

"Gehh" Tsubaki reacted while Leorio and Kurapika were shouting to Gon and her.

"When you become a Hunter, most countries will give you a free pass! And there's no charge to use public facilities. How are those benefits?" Leorio said while getting closer to their faces with a big smile.

"Hunters have many difficult and important responsibilities, such as preserving cultural artifacts and endangered species, as well as capturing wanted criminals and unscrupulous hunters!"

"The fame and money! That's why people want to become hunters!"

"Profound knowledge, a healthy mind and body, an unyielding conviction… Those are the qualities in which hunters pride themselves!"

"Gon! Tsubaki! What do you guys think?! What kind of hunter do you guys hope to become?!" Leorio and Kurapika shouted harmoniously.

"Well…" Tsubaki began with a frightened face.

"When you put it that way…." Gon said also with a frightened face.

Before either of them could finish their sentences, the room came to a stop and the sign on top of the door read "B / 1OO"

"I think we've arrived" Kurapika said.

"We'll continue this later" Leorio said.

"Haa" Gon and Tsubaki gave a relieved sigh to no longer get involved with such a situation.

As the doors to the room opened, they were shown a very long and big tunnel looking area filled with tons of people. The applicants that have already arrived gave the group of four very cold looks and they were all wearing badges with numbers on it.

"What a cold atmosphere" Tsubaki said while walking out of the room.

"They clearly differ from the hunter applicants at the port and in the city." Kurapika said. _Each is a master… in his or her own way._

"Excuse me…" Gon said while walking toward the other applicants. Before he was able to say anything, the other applicants turned away and a tense atmosphere formed. "whoa, everyone here sure is tense."

"Hello. Please take a number," A short man with a green head said while handing a badge to Leorio. Leorio had the badge "4O3". The man also gave Kurapika Gon, and Tsubaki badges. They read, "4O4", "4O5", and "4O6" respectively. "Be sure to wear these on your chest at all times and be careful not to lose it." Then the green-headed man walked away.

"Haven't seen you guys around before," A mysterious voice said. Gon looked up towards the ceiling and saw a man sitting on a ledge. He was a chubbier man wearing a blue shirt and the number "16" badge. "Yo."

"You can tell we're new?" Gon asked.

"More or less" The man jumped down from where he was and walked toward the group. "After all, this will be my thirty-fifth attempt."

"Thirty five times?!" Gon, Leorio and Tsubaki shouted with surprise.

"Well, you can say I'm an exam veteran. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"Thank you" Gon said

"My name is Tonpa." The man said extending his arm out for a handshake.

"I'm Gon" he replied with a smile and shook Tonpa's hand. "And these are Kurapika, Tsubaki, and Leorio. Hey, are there others who have taken the exam a bunch of times like you?"

"Well, I have the most experience here, but there are a few others. For instance there's him, number 255." Tonpa pointed to a chubby looking man with a blond ponytail. "Todo, the wrestler. He's unmatched in strength and he's smarter than he looks. On the other side, we have number 103" Tonpa then pointed to an older man wearing a green turban and purple scarf. "Bourbon, the snake charmer. He tends to hold grudges so you don't want to end up on his bad side. And then…" Tonpa pointed to another older man with his hair in a long ponytail and a badge reading number "191". "That's number 191, Bodoro, the kung fu master. He's getting old but there still isn't a better martial artist around. Then you have the three brothers, Amori, Imori, and Umori." He pointed to three siblings wearing hats of different colors. "They perform consistently well thanks to their teamwork. And then there's number 384, Gerreta the huntsman." Tonpa pointed to a dark skinned man holding a club of some sort. "He specializes in killing by all manner of creatures, by blow dart and club. There are many more, but they have taken the test the most times." Tonpa said while finishing his long lecture.

"Ahh… I see." Gon said in an appreciative tone.

Then a scream was heard and everyone turned their heads in the direction of the scream and they saw a man in a warrior outfit with a purple cape and a unique hairstyle. His hands were disappearing and red flowers were appearing instead.

"Oh, how peculiar… His arms seem to become flower petals. No smoke and mirrors here. Do take care. When you bump into someone, you really should apologize." The man with red hair and a maroon star on his right cheek and a green teardrop on his left cheek said. He was also wearing a blue shirt that looked like a football jersey decorated with suit symbols. His badge read "44", and he smiled at the man with a creepy smile on his face. At this point, everyone's eyes were glaring at him.

 _That voice…_

"That psychopath is back again," Tonpa said with fear stricken on his face.

"Again?" Gon asked with a curious look.

"Does that mean he took last year's exam?" Kurapika asked.

"Number 44, H-" Before Tonpa could finish his thought; he was interrupted by another's voice.

"Hisoka…A-A magician." With the name "Hisoka" coming from Tsubaki's lips, Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and even Tonpa looked at her with shocked expressions. _That voice… Those eyes… That hair… There's no mistaking it. It's him… Hisoka._ Tsubaki, finally finding the person she's dedicated her whole life looking for did not have an expression of happiness on her face but of fear. She was trembling, her eyes were driven with fear and all she could do was stare at the magician.

"T-That's right…" Tonpa began, stuttering. "Last year, he was a sure lock to pass the test, until he all but killed an examiner he didn't like." Tonpa said with furrowed brows.

"A-And they just let him come back?!" Leorio said stuttering with fear. "A-And, how exactly do you know him Tsubaki?!"

"I would like to know as well" Kurapika said with a curious look.

Tsubaki didn't even hear the others talking behind her, all she was focused on was the magician. He lifted his head and looked at her. His amber eyes pierced through her heart. Fear had taken over her body. He gave a smirk and began to walk toward her.

"Oi, oi, oi." Leorio said. "He's coming over here!"

With every step he took towards Tsubaki, her heart was beating even faster: Ba-dump, Ba-dump, Ba-dump. She didn't move a muscle, no- she couldn't. All Tsubaki was able to do was just stand there and stare at the magician. When Hisoka finally came face to face with Tsubaki he gave a smirk and reached over to her blue hair clip. He removed her hair clip and her long white hair fell to her back. Ba-dump. She looked into his eyes and the picture of the younger Hisoka she knew as a kid popped into her mind. _What happened… to the Hisoka I fell in love with?_ Hisoka then picked up a strand of Tsubaki's hair and kissed it. Ba-Dump. Tsubaki was in shock. Leorio, Gon and Kurapika were also surprised by the magician's actions. Fear and curiosity filled their minds and bodies.

"Heh. Didn't think I'd see your face again. Catch me if you can, Tsukime," he looked directly into her eyes and gave a teasing smirk. Then he let go of her hair, took her hair clip with him, and walked away. Tsubaki stayed where she was, a tense atmosphere formed around the group of five. Kurapika, Leorio, Gon, and Tonpa's eyes were fixated with fear on Tsubaki. Tsubaki was trembling and fell to her knees. Her eyes were wide open with fear and tears were beginning to form.

As he walked away, the sound of his footsteps were getting softer but then he suddenly stopped. "Oh that's right." He suddenly said. He turned and looked back at Tsubaki and threw a card at her right arm tearing a part of her kimono near her shoulder revealing a birthmark. "It's not right to lie, is it Tsukime?" He gave a smile and turned around laughing while waving Tsubaki's blue hair clip in the sky.

"Oi, Tsubaki. Are you okay?" Leorio said while kneeling beside Tsubaki.

Kurapika also knelt by her side and noticed her birthmark. Tsubaki quickly used her hand to cover it. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Tsubaki… Are you-?" Kurapika started with a questioning look.

"Oh!" Tonpa interrupted returning to his "normal" self. "How about some juice to calm down our nerves? And to also mark our new acquaintance?" Tonpa shuffled through his bag to grab four orange cans of juice out and handed it to the group of four.

"Oh thank you! Leorio said while taking the can. "You should drink some Tsubaki. It'll help calm you down a bit."

"Thank you" Kurapika and Gon said with a smile.

"T-Thank you…" Tsubaki said while standing herself back up.

The other candidates looking on to what was happening with the group were snickering. "There he goes, he always plays the nice guy even though he's one of the nastiest here. Tonpa, the rookie crusher…" One of them whispered.

"Cheers!" Tonpa said while holding out his can, the other followed suit and shouted 'cheers!' _Haha, the juice I just gave you contains an extremely strong laxative. One sip and for three days, your guts will be a non-stop roller coaster. You'll need diapers to take the exam._ With these thoughts in Tonpa's head, he looked upon the group with an evil smirk on his face. Gon was the first to take a sip of the juice and he instantly spit it out.

"Tonpa-san, this juice must be expired. It tastes funny" Upon those words, Leorio, who had just taken a sip, spit out his juice as fast as he could.

"Seriously? That was close!" Leorio said while wiping his mouth with his arm.

"H-Huh? T-That's strange! Haha!" Tonpa said while stuttering and giving an unsure laugh. _Impossible! That laxative should have no scent or taste!_ While Tonpa was getting frantic about the laxative, Kurapika and Tsubaki dumped out the contents of the can onto the ground. "I'm very sorry!" Tonpa said while bowing and with his hands together. "I didn't know the juice had gone bad."

"It's okay, you don't need to apologize. Is your stomach okay?" Gon asked.

"Y-yes, I'm fine."

"I've sampled all kinds of mountain grasses and plants so I can usually taste when something's bad."

"R-really? That's amazing!" _Damn it! I just had to run into this wild mountain kid!_ "Sorry about that, well, I'll see you around." Tonpa said while tuning back and walking away. _Still, there's something wrong with this year's rookies._ Lost in his thoughts, Tonpa was suddenly snapped back to reality when he heard a voice calling out to him.

"Tonpa-san! Can I have some more of that juice?" A young silver haired boy asked while waving his hand and having a cute smile on his face. His badge number was "99" and he was holding a skateboard under his arm. "Must be nerves. I'm really thirsty!"

"Eh? O-Oh, Sure…" _What the hell? The laxative he took earlier should have taken effect by now. What's going on?_

The silver haired boy began to drink another can and held two more cans in his other hand.

"It's only a laxative but if he imbibes that much, he could die or dehydration."

"Worried?" The boy said with a smile, snapping Tonpa back to reality. "Don't worry. I've been trained. Poisons won't affect me" the boy explained, and with those words, he walked away.

 _Poisons? He knew what was in the juice? Yet he still drank it? Number 99, Killua. This year's rookies are all insane! Well, it doesn't matter. It just makes crushing them all the more worthwhile!_

Ring!

The sound of a bell was heard and the walls in the tunnel began to lift. Behind the wall stood a tall slender man with a purple suit, purple hair and a weird moustache.

"I apologize for the wait. The entry period for hunter applicants has ended. The Hunter exam will now begin! A final caution, if you are short on luck or ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or dead. Those who accept those risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you." The man gave everyone a chance to think about it but no one budged a muscle and they all stayed in the tunnel with determined faces. "Very well. All 4O5 applicants will participate in Phase One." His moustache moved up and down while he was speaking to the crowd. Then, he began to walk in a weird manner, his legs were long and he took very big steps. Suddenly, he started to increase his pace and the applicants in front started to run. "I neglected to introduce myself. I'm Satotz, the Phase One examiner. I will lead you to the Second Phase."

"Second Phase? What about the first phase?" A built, bald man, Hanzo, with the badge "294" on his chest asked.

"It has already commenced." The candidates were murmuring amongst themselves. "You must follow me to Phase Two. This is the exam's first Phase." Satotz explained.

"Follow you? That's it?" Hanzo asked.

"Yes." Satotz confirmed. "I cannot tell you where or when you must arrive. You just need to follow me."

"I see how it is," Kurapika said.

"This test is weird" Gon said.

"I expect it's an endurance test." Leorio gave a smile and was suddenly fired up. "Fine by me! I'll be right behind you!"

 _But there is the mental stress of not knowing how far we'll have to run. He's also testing our mental fortitude._ Kurapika then looked over to Tsubaki who is running beside him and looked at her shoulder area where her birthmark is. _A crescent moon shaped birthmark. Tsubaki is no normal person. She's special: she's someone of great power._

"Tsubaki…" Kurapika began in a serious tone.

"Yes? Is something wrong?" Tsubaki looked up at Kurapika and saw the seriousness in his face. "You, you aren't- are you?"

"What? You know her from somewhere Kurapika?" Leorio butted in.

Tsubaki gave a sigh.

"So it's true." Kurapika said. "You're…"

"Yes. My name is Sakurai Tsubaki, former Princess of the Northern House of Taira." Tsubaki could not bear to look at her new comrades in their faces. She could only look at the ground while she was running.

"WHAT?!" Leorio shouted in complete shock. "A princess?!"

"Waa, Tsubaki, you're a princess? No wonder why I felt such a graceful aura surrounding you." Gon said to her with a smile.

"Whoa, wait you said your name is Sakurai. You mean THE Sakurai family?!" Kurapika said with a surprised tone.

"Eh? You know about her family Kurapika?" Gon asked.

"You don't? The Sakurai family was known for their extraordinary talent in music and of their union with the Machiyo's known for the assassination groups. The Princess of our generation was also highly regarded. Their daughter was rumored to be amongst the top class in the Machiyo and I also heard that she was really gifted in piano. The Sakurai's were a very powerful family but over 12 years ago, the King and Queen suddenly passed away and the rightful ruler was their daughter but she ran away shorty after their passing and was never found. The successor of the throne was supposed to be the Princess but since she left, the Queen's sister married the neighboring village's King and they now rule Northern Taira. But who would've thought that the successor to the throne would be here now."

Only silence was the response given by Leorio and Gon. Tsubaki had a shameful look on her face and continued to just look at the ground. She could not bear to lift her head to face the others.

"Why… did you run away?" Gon asked breaking the silence.

"Because that house is full of deception and lies. I could no longer stay at the palace after finding out the truth and so I ran. I needed more power to take down the ones that destroyed my family and like I told you when we first met. I needed to find someone." Tsubaki looked forward and running far in front of her was Hisoka.

"Hisoka…" Leorio said. "What exactly is the relationship between you two?"

"Though the details are a bit jumbled, the story will be shared with you guys one day." Tsubaki replied with a smile. "But to keep the long story short, he was my first friend and he taught me what true happiness was."

"Someone like that taught you what happiness was?" Leorio said with a weird face.

"He wasn't always like that…He was happier, kinder, and the only reason why I tolerated everything at the palace. We were very close."

"Is that why he called you 'Tsukime'?" Gon asked.

Tsubaki gave a little chuckle. "I remember that night as clear as day. 'Tsuki as in moon. Me as in Hime. Moon Princess," Tsubaki had a gentle smile on her face. "He told me one night that my beauty surpassed even that of the moon so he named me 'Tsukime'."

"But something happened. Why did you guys drift apart?" Kurapika asked curiously.

"Things were complicating during our past but who has never heard the story about a commoner and royalty becoming close?"

"So, your titles is what made things difficult. Seems tough." Kurapika said.

"It was, or rather, still is. But, uh, let's focus on the exam, we would't want to fall behind right?" Tsubaki explained with a smile.

The exam has finally begun and one applicant was disqualified before it even started. Tsubaki's identity had been revealed and she finally met the person she was looking for. What will happen between the Princess and the Magician?


	6. Hunter Exam: Phase 1 End

**[[ Sorry for taking a little while, school is busy now.**

 **However, here's another chapter, enjoy!**

 **Please R &R, any feedback would be appreciated! ]]**

* * *

"Call for Maya, Maria, I need to discuss something with her." Three days have passed since the engagement between Tsubaki and Riku and an unsettling feeling has not left Aiko's side since the ball, or rather, when she learned the true identity of Hisoka, the Aomori Prince.

"Aiko-Nee, you called for me?" Maya is the second daughter of the Machiyo family, in other words, she is Aiko's younger sister.

"What do you know about the Aomori family?"

"The Aomori's? They're from a village east of here, it's a small village, they come from noble blood but they're a family of hunters. They possess Nen, which they pass off as magic, why? Why are you interested in them?"

"The boy, their _Prince,_ he was caught stealing from the Palace about a week ago, he posed as a starving commoner. I almost had his head."

"What?" Maya asked in a tone of surprise, "Why was a Prince pretending to be a commoner and trying to steal from the Northern Palace? Is he crazy?"

"That is what I would like to know. Something about that boy seemed off to me. Have our family assassins keep an eye on him, at least until I can get rid of this feeling of unease." _The others may not have noticed it but when he was dancing with Tsubaki, we quickly made eye contact and he gave me a smirk. He's after something here and I need to know why._

"You don't think he's after _that_ do you? His family should have no knowledge of it. The only ones who know about it are the Machiyo's, the Fujiwara's, your husband, and his advisors."

"You said so yourself that they possess Nen and yet, I felt none from that boy. The same was said about our One King."

"You aren't suggesting what I think you are, are you? The prophecy?" Maya interrupted.

"We must hold a strategy meeting soon, the fate of our families and our crowns rely on it. Maya, keep an eye on him, he may have found out the truth, we must be careful. Who knows what kind of damage can be done if he gets his hands on it."

"You got it, sis." Maya gave a bow to Aiko and proceeded to fulfill her request. Returning to her room, a man wearing all black clothing, knelt before Maya.

"Our Queen orders you to follow the Aomori Prince, figure out if he has any intentions to threaten Our Queen and her throne."

"Understood, Maya-Sama." –

"Tsubaki-Hime, it is time for breakfast with Prince Riku. Would you like to eat in the garden today or in the banquet hall?"

"The weather's nice today, let's eat in the garden, Maria." Tsubaki said with a smile as she was getting out of bed.

"Of course, preparations will be made, please get ready Tsubaki-Hime." Maria made her way to prepare the breakfast out in the garden while Tsubaki took a bath and got dressed in her day dress that was white with yellow flowers decorating the bottom rim of the dress.

When the preparations for breakfast have been made, Maria accompanied Tsubaki to the table that was surrounded by various colored roses. Riku was already seated at the table with his butler, waiting for Tsubaki's arrival. When he saw her making her way towards him, he couldn't help but give a large smile.

Tsubaki and Riku ate their breakfast and continued to get to know each other. They have gotten closer the past few days and the air in the castle was lighter.

When breakfast was finished, it was time for Riku to perform his early morning rituals that are symbolic of Southern tradition. As the two bid their goodbyes, the maids cleaned up the area Tsubaki quickly made her way deeper into the garden on the search for her secret hideout. Another rose was placed in front of the statue, deliberately. Continuing on, she saw a familiar crimson haired boy waiting for her down in their secret hideout.

"Hisoka, what are you doing here? You said you had an event of some sort to attend to."

"I came to see my friend."

"Your friend?" Tsubaki couldn't help but give a small smile.

"I need your help with something." However, before Hisoka could continue to explain himself, Maria's voice was heard yelling out for Tsubaki's name as it was time for her to attend her history lesson.

"What do you need help with?" Tsubaki tried to explore, ignoring Maria's calls.

"A Princess should not ignore her duties. I will try again another time but I have a question for you."

"Sure, anything."

"Your mother, the Queen, do you trust her?"

With no hesitation, Tsubaki answered, "I don't even love her. You can't trust someone you don't love, right?"

Hisoka gave an amused smile in response to Tsubaki's answer as she made her way back to the palace. _It seems we have yet another thing in common, Tsubaki-Hime._

. . .

Tsubaki's lesson today was about Okita, who was the "One King's" royal advisor as well as prophet. Okita's ability to see the future was always accurate and he lived up to his name as the "All-Seeing." However, there was a prophecy that Okita foresaw that had yet to come true. This prophecy talked about the One King's successor and how he will come to power.

After the One King's assassination, about 100 years ago, Taira crumbled and was divided into two sectors, North and South. Those with royal blood immediately fought for power in both sectors and the families that won were the ancestors of the Sakurai and Fujiwara family and they have been in power ever since.

The history between the Sakurai and Fujiwara's has always been a complex one. The first rulers to take the throne have always despised each other and unity was never a thought in either mind. Okita warned each family that their power will not stand for eternity, the One King's successor will eventually come to light, however, even Okita didn't know whom the successor was.

"Is that it? What's the prophecy?" Tsubaki questioned Maria as the lesson was suddenly cut short at what she would describe as "the good part."

"Unfortunately, this ends today's history lesson." Maria explained as she started to gather up the books.

"Aw, but that's not fair Maria! Has the prophecy been fulfilled yet? Do we know who the prophecy speaks of?"

"I do not have the authority to speak of the prophecy with you. If you want to learn about the prophecy you must seek the permission of both His and Her Royal Majesty."

"Mama and Papa? Why?"

"The Prophecy is secret kept hidden to the public for their safety. There are only a few who know of the truth and words of the prophecy are forbidden unless approved for by the King and Queen. Do you understand Tsubaki-Hime?"

Tsubaki nodded even though she deeply wanted to know the truth of the prophecy but another question came to her mind that she wanted an answer to as well. "Ne, Maria. Can I ask you a question?"

"I already told you Tsubaki-Hime-"

"No, it's not about the prophecy, it's about Mama and Papa."

Maria raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "What about them, Hime?"

"How did they fall in love? Papa may not know about Mama's punishments but he knows that she is rude and harsh sometimes. I can't imagine Papa marrying someone like her, I picture him with someone… more like… you." Hearing those words caused Maria's heart to shatter but she put on a small smile anyway.

"So, do you know how they got together? I heard that Papa had a choice in marrying whom he wanted to but did he really choose Mama?" Maria tried her best to keep calm and looked Tsubaki straight in her eyes, "If you must know the answer to that question, I suggest you ask your father. Back then, things were a bit more complicated but I'm sure the decision he made was not an easy one. I must get lunch prepared, I will see you soon Hime."

Maria left the room with a pained expression as she remembered the events of that fateful day.

. . .

 _Nine Years Ago_

"An arraigned marriage?" A younger Maria, wearing clothes suited for a noble, questioned as she was in the Princes' Chambers.

"Maria," A young Prince Ikuto began as he sat beside her and gently held onto her hands, "If I could drop everything and be with you, you know I would do it in a heartbeat but my father is ill and I am the heir to the throne. I cannot sacrifice the stability my father had worked so hard to build. Please understand."

"I do understand but do _you_ understand that that is not what this whole marriage is truly about? It's about the book, the prophecy. They wish to hide the book in your family name so that no one will try to go against you and claim it. Once the One King's successor makes his claim, all power will be lost and the One King will reclaim his rightful throne, the Fujiwara's, the Sakurai, and the Machiyo will do everything in their power to keep that book hidden. They are using you my love, for their protection, for a raise in status and you are letting them get away with it!"

"Maria, without my title, I will not be able to protect you from those that wish us harm. I will protect you, even if you are not my wife, I will continue to love you as if you were so."

A painful expression took over Maria's face and she tried her best to calm herself down, "I heard whispers that she knows of our relationship, she will remove my title and strip away my land. How am I supposed to provide for my family if I am reduced to being a maid?"

"Maybe it's for the best, that way you'll no longer have a target on your back and I would be able to protect you. You and your mother will be safe as workers in the palace, I can promise you that. Please, Maria, don't make this harder than it already is."

"Ikuto-Sama… at least promise me you will be safe. Even if I can no longer remain by your side, I will forever care about you and miss you."

"And I, you." Ikuto pulled Maria closer to him as they both shared one final kiss before Ikuto had his meeting with the Machiyo Princess, Aiko.

* * *

"Your Royal Majesty, you have a visitor." A guard addressed as he walked into the King's Chambers.

"Who is it?"

"It is Her Majesty, the Queen, and Lady Maya, they seem to have something important to talk to you about. I understand you do not like to be bothered while doing paperwork, shall I send them away?"

"No, that is not necessary, send them in." Ikuto replied as he put away his paperwork and proceeded to the door.

"Aiko, Maya, what is it?"

"There is something we need to discuss." Aiko explained as she sat on the couch in the middle of the room.

The others followed and did the same as they looked at Aiko to continue her statement.

"That boy you invited, the Aomori Prince, there is something about him that troubles me. I fear he may possess the blood of the One King."

"What?! Are you absolutely certain?" Ikuto questioned, as he wanted to be 1OO percent sure.

"No, but you know my gut feelings are not wrong. The book, is it safely hidden?"

"Of course. It is hidden beneath the dungeons, surrounded by a Nen barrier as well as at least 5 meters of steel. There is no way the book's presence could be found. You know that the only ways to be allowed entrance is through a retina scan. Even if the boy is a threat, there is no possible way for him to get to the secured location."

"That may be so but I have sent one of my family's assassins to keep an eye on him. If anything bothersome comes up, we will have to get rid of that boy, I am not relinquishing my title or my family's status."  
"Calm yourself Aiko, we are not going to kill the child even if he does happen to be the One King's successor. I have the contents of the book written down in a journal of mine, there is a spell we can use but the risks are dangerous."

"Oh? You're willing to use the book? You were usually the one against it."  
"I understand the One King is the rightful ruler of Taira but we have Tsubaki now. I am not going to risk everything I built for her. Just like you Aiko, I am not going to risk the stability of my family just so that Taira can become whole again. Even if we are separate, the Southern rulers are also in agreement of never letting the book fall into the hands of the One King's successor."

Aiko gave a smirk in response to Ikuto and asked him to show her the spell he was talking about. As Ikuto grabbed the journal and found the spell, Aiko was surprised at the contents of the spell.

"The book is powered by Nen correct?" Aiko questioned.

"Yes, the book of 'spells' is actually powered by Nen. You are the only one of us three that is able to implement that spell."

"You do know that if I do this, not only will the child be affected but so will Tsubaki and all who knew him. The conditions must be specified as well."

"It is up to you Aiko, if you truly feel threatened by the boy, this is the only course of action but if that's the case-"

"I will think this through," Aiko interrupted as she gave the journal back to Ikuto. "I will wait on the reports of my assassin but you do know that the consequences of this spell are dire. Are you willing to cater to my every whim if this is our last resort?"

"If that is the only choice we have, then how can I refuse?"

Aiko gave a smirk, "Well, I suppose I should start the transfer of power papers then. If things don't go the way as planned, you will have to marry Maya when necessary. Understood Maya? You will be Queen if something happens to me and if so, don't screw it up."

* * *

Since the phase has begun, they have already run for over 2 hours; which is over 3O Kilometers from the start. Many applicants have already dropped out due to both their physical and mental exhaustion.

As for Leorio, he is beginning to get exhausted and realizes that he underestimated the Hunter Exam. He then sees the young silver haired boy riding a skateboard and starts to feel irritated and believes that the boy isn't giving it his full respect.

"Hey Kid! You should show the Hunter Exam some respect!" Leorio yelled out in disbelief and anger.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked in an innocent tone.

"Why're you using a skateboard?! That's cheating!"

"Why?" he asked while tilting his head and talking in a cute voice.

"Why?! This is an endurance test!" Leorio shouted while getting more irritated.

"No it isn't" Gon said interrupting the conversation between the two.

"Gon! What're you saying?!"

"The only thing the examiner told us was to follow him."

"Just exactly whose side are you on?!"

The boy on the skateboard then slowed down to reach Gon's pace.

"Hey, how old are you?" He asked.

"I'm twelve years old" Gon replied.

 _We're the same age…_ The silver haired boy then jumped off his skateboard having it flip in the air and caught it with his hand. "Guess I'll run too"

"Wow! That was so cool!"

"I'm Killua"

"I'm Gon"

Leorio is on the brink of exhaustion, he continues to run but he is huffing frantically, his steps are wobbly, and he is sweating profusely. He drops his suitcase and it goes down with a "bang." This catches Gon's attention and he notices that Leorio has stopped running. Gon slows his pace and stops as well; looking back at Leorio. Leorio, breathing very heavily, returns the exchange of looks with Gon.

"Hey, Just forget him" Killua says. "Let's go"

But Gon does not budge; he continues to look at Leorio with his unwavering eyes.

"Screw that… I'm gonna become a hunter!" Leorio shouts while picking up his pace and running past Gon and Killua at full speed. Gon has a big smile on his face and uses his fishing rod to "fish" for Leorio's suitcase.

"Cool!" Killua said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Tsubaki continues on ahead to try and catch up to Hisoka but as she finally set her sights on him, he quickly ran away from her and out of sight.

 _Che. You're right there in front of me and yet, you want nothing to do with me. Are you trying to teach me a lesson? Is that why you weren't there to save me that night? You said so yourself, no matter where I am, you'll find me. So, have you stopped looking?_ As Tsubaki was lost in thought, Kurapika caught up to Tsubaki and noticed that the group of people at the beginning of the course started to pick up their pace.

The examiner has realized that they have already reached 8O kilometers and decided to pick up the pace. His legs extend even farther and he starts to jump up this grand staircase revealed as they continued to reach their destination.

Leorio, now running with his shirt off and tied around his waist is able to finally catch up with Kurapika and Tsubaki who are close to the front of the group.

"Leorio, are you okay?" Tsubaki asks.

"Of course! I mean. Look at me. I realized that I could keep going if I don't care about how stupid I look!" Leorio then increases his speed and runs past Kurapika and Tsubaki. Kurapika and Tsubaki give a look to each other hinting that they, too, should follow Leorio's example. Kurapika takes his tabard off and puts it in his bag and Tsubaki takes a hair tie and ties her hair up and they manage to run together with Leorio.

"Leorio… I have a question." Kurapika asked while huffing for air in between his words.

"What is it?"

"Are you really trying to become a hunter just for money?" The question catches Leorio by surprise and his face suddenly has a serious expression. "You aren't, right? We've only been together for a few days but I know you better than that. Sure, you have a nasty attitude and you aren't the brightest…" An angry expression on Leorio's face appeared. "But you're not a shallow person."

"I agree" Tsubaki said. "I can tell just by looking at you. You have a very kind aura surrounding you. Becoming a hunter just for money… there's a different goal, isn't there? And besides, I know how people are when they live for money, you aren't like them." A silence befell the three.

"Scarlet eyes…" Kurapika began "That's why the Kurta were targeted. We Kurta are known for our unique scarlet eyes. When our emotions are heightened, our eyes turn scarlet, like they're on fire. The eyes in that scarlet state are said to be one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world. They command high prices in the Black Market."

"Is that why the Phantom Troupe attacked you?" Tsubaki asked.

"They took every single eye from my brethren's corpses. I can still hear their darkened eyes crying out in anguish. I swear I will capture the Phantom Troupe! And I will reclaim the eyes of my clan!"

"That's why you want to be a hunter?" Leorio asked.

"Yes. If I become a hunter and I gain rich clients, I'll gain access to black market information."

"But you'll have to swallow your pride and become a hunter you despise!" Leorio said.

"The blow to my pride is nothing measured against the suffering of my clan!"

"Sorry but I have no noble cause. I'm just after money."

"Don't lie!" Kurapika said.

"I told you earlier that I ran away from my home and that the only safe place for me to be is here. My family is hiding something and the only way for me to find out what that is to get stronger. My goal was to always get stronger and I was told that becoming a hunter would allow me to do that. Other then Hisoka, my goal is to get justice for my family that was murdered and to uncover the truth." Tsubaki stated

"What exactly are you trying to find?" Kurapika asked.

"I don't even know. All I know is that my Aunt is hiding a secret she does not want me to find out and she turned the palace against me. I had no choice but to run but I do know that she is the one that murdered my family and I will have her take responsibility."

"We have both shared our reasons to become a hunter Leorio, what's yours?" Kurapika asked.

"If I had money, I could've bought everything I needed! If I had money, my friend wouldn't have died!" Leorio looked away from the two and just looked forward.

"an illness?" Tsubaki asked.

"It was a treatable disease…the problem was that the operation cost a fortune. I was naïve! I thought I could become a doctor; I wanted to cure kids who had the same disease and be able to tell them it was free of charge! Then I could have told his parents too. That was my dream…what a joke" Leorio continued to run but tears were forming in his eyes. Tsubaki and Kurapika ran alongside him not saying a word, respecting his words in their hearts. "It turns out, to become a doctor, you need even more money! So don't you guys get it? The world runs on money…so I want money." Kurapika and Tsubaki both looked at each other and then back at Leorio giving genuine smiles.

At that point, Gon and Killua made it to the top and finally caught up to the three.

"We'll race you to the top!" Gon said in a cheery voice.

"See you there, old timer!" Killua yelled in teasing voice.

"I'm not old! I'm a teenager like you guys!" everyone was shocked and they all had on blank expressions.

"huh?" Kurapika said surprised.

"No way!" Killua said in a shocked tone.

Tsubaki gave a giggle. "You guys thought I was a teenager too?" She smiled at the boys "If anything, I'm the oldest one of this group. I'm 22 this year." The shocked reactions came back and their eyes grew even wider.

"What is going on with this world?!" Killua yelled in a sarcastic tone.

* * *

Killua and Gon ran ahead of the group and they passed many applicants as they moved forward.

"Hey, Why do you want to become a hunter?" Gon asked.

"Me? I'm not really interested in becoming a hunter" Killua replied with a bored voice. "I heard the exam was supposed to be really hard so I thought I'd have fun! But this is disappointing. What about you?"

"Well my dad's a hunter. So I want to become a hunter like my dad. When my dad was twelve, he took the exam and passed and left the island. I want to become a hunter to know why my dad left instead of being with me." Gon said these words with a strong voice, he did not waver and he held his head high. He wasn't sad or showed any hatred; he had a gleam in his eye that shows how he wants to catch up to his father.

As they continue along the tunnel they see a ray of light, they have finally reached the exit! When everyone exits the tunnel they are presented with a big open forest covered in fog. As the other applicants are still exiting the tunnel, the fog begins to clear revealing a murky, swampy looking forest.

"The Numere Wetlands; also known as Swindlers' Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is home to many bizarre animals, many of them cunning, insatiable creatures who deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful. If you let them fool you, you're dead." Satotz explained looking back at the applicants. There was a door closing at the end of the tunnel. "These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain their food through deceit…Hence the name Swindlers Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."

"Don't let them fool you!" A voice called out. The voice caught everyone's attention and they looked in the direction of the voice. "D-Don't fall for it…" An older man who was all beaten up had said. "He's lying to you!" The man pointed at Satotz. "He isn't an examiner. I'm the real examiner! Look at this!" The man then pulled a body toward him; it was an ape looking monkey that had the face of Satotz. "It's a man-faced ape; one of the creatures that dwell in the Numere Wetlands. They love the taste of fresh human flesh but they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into the wetlands where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!" The man pointed at Satotz again and the applicants were murmuring; they're minds were confused. Some were actually starting to believe the man accusing Satotz of being a fake. Then suddenly two cards flew at the injured man and struck his chest. The man fell in an instant. Two more cards were also thrown at Satotz who caught them with his two fingers.

"I see, I see…." The magician said while shuffling his deck of cards. "That settles it, you're the real one." Hisoka says while looking at Satotz. "Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any hunter, bearing the title that we seek, would have been easily able to dodge that attack."

"I shall take that as a compliment. However, if you dare attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner. You will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?"

"Sure." Hisoka replied in a bored voice.

"Well then, now that that's settled. You must understand that you will go through such deception on a daily basis therefore it is prudent that you do not lose sight of me in the fog. Otherwise, you will never make it to the Second Phase. Understand? Now please, follow me."

Satotz walked through the forest, continuing with his weird walk with the many applicants trying to keep up with him through the fog. The applicants have finally escaped the long dark tunnel and so far 36 applicants have withdrawn, leaving a total of 369 left. Even though they finally managed to escape the tunnel with their energy drained, they are handed with the task to run through the Numere Wetlands and to keep track of Satotz through the fog. The Hunter exam continues, will they be able to survive?


	7. Hunter Exam: Phase 2

**[[ So as you can probably already tell, I'll be following the anime at these parts.**

 **The Hunter Exam is always fun to go through again so I hope you enjoy.**

 **Please R &R, any feedback would be appreciated.**

 **Thank you for reading!** **]]**

* * *

The applicants have finally made it through the tunnel and are now presented with the task to run through the Numere Wetlands. With the heavy fog and numerous terrifying creatures, this task will not be easy. However, with the heaviness of the fog, people will have the opportunity to use it to their advantage, for example, to take out their opponents, specifically Hisoka.

"Gon, let's move up." Killua spoke as he sensed an uneasy feeling in the atmosphere.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to lose track of the examiner."

"I'm more worried about putting distance between us and Hisoka. He's too dangerous to be near."

"Ah… Leorio! Kurapika! Tsubaki! Killua thinks we should move up!" Gon yelled back as his comrades were a few feet behind.

"If I had the strength, I would be there already!" Leorio yelled back as he continued to run.

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine!" Kurapika yelled back.

"Eh?"

"Let's go, Gon." Killua said as he ran further along the pack with Gon following behind.

Meanwhile, Tsubaki, Leorio and Kurapika have been running aimlessly in the fog without knowing which direction they are heading towards.

"We don't even know where we're going." Tsubaki commented.

"It's okay. As long as we don't lose track of the guys in front of us, we'll be fine." Leorio explained.

However, the shadows in front of them, started appearing as strawberries and as a hunter approached one of the strawberries a monster appeared from the fog and ate him. As the fog thickened and got deeper, many of the applicants have already been killed, injured, or have been completely deceived by the creatures of the swamp. Kurapika, Leorio, and Tsubaki have been separated from the main group in the process.

Continuing to run, they have lost sight of the other applicants and are having trouble finding their way. "Which way do we go?" Leorio asked as he examined his surroundings.

"Stop!" Tsubaki yelled in a hushed tone. "Look over there." Tsubaki pointed to an open wide patch beyond the tress they were running through and spotted through those trees was Hisoka who was surrounded by the other applicants.

The applicants threaten Hisoka and make him promise to never to return to the Hunter Exam again, in which he replies with, "Sure. I'm going to pass this exam anyway, so therefore, I do not need to retake it."

With his sly remark, Hisoka angered the other applicants and they were provoked into lunging at him. However, Hisoka managed to defeat them all with a single playing card.

Kurapika, Leorio, and Tsubaki watched in horror and in utter disbelief as Hisoka killed the other applicants. Then, he turned his attention to the group of three and asked with a sly smirk, "Care to join my little game of examiner?"

He begins to walk towards the three and all they can do is stand there with their guards up.

"Oi, Tsubaki, you think you can take him?" Leorio asked under his breath.

"Eh? Uh, I've never actually fought him in this state before. He's different from when he was younger and he was always stronger than me. But, I can serve as a distraction so you two can escape. I can manage that much at least." Tsubaki takes a step forward and begins to speak but is interrupted when Hisoka throws a card past her that hits the trunk of a tree.

"Che." Tsubaki suddenly has a serious expression on her face. "Listen you two, on my signal, you two run in opposite directions." She explained in hushed tones.

"We can't just leave you." Leorio replied.

"But you can't stay here either."

"Listen to her Leorio, he's more experienced in combat and we won't be any help, if anything, we'll only get in Tsubaki's way."

Hisoka walked closer to the group of three and their breaths grew heavier. As he was preparing another card to attack, Tsubaki yelled the command for the others to run away. "Now!" Leorio and Kurapika both ran in opposite directions and away from Hisoka.

"I see… a wise decision Tsukime." He said with a smile on his face as he threw his card at her. Tsubaki immediately unsheathed her katana and deflected the card. She lunged toward Hisoka but he managed to block her attack with another playing card.

"This is-" Before Tsubaki could finish her thought, Hisoka kicked her in her abdomen and she landed against a tree trunk.

"You've grown weak yet you can still put up a fight, huh?"

"What happened to you Hisoka?" Tsubaki asked as she was trying to get back on her feet. However, she saw Leorio come back in their direction with a wooden stick in his hand. "I just can't do it. This may not be my fight but I can't just close my eyes and make a break for it!" Leorio then charges straight toward Hisoka.

"Idiot!" Tsubaki yelled as she tried to run over there but Hisoka was able to speedily dodge Leorio's attack and as he was about to deal the finishing blow, Hisoka was attacked in the face by a fishing pole.

"Gon?!" Leorio yelled in shock.

"I made it in time." Gon said breathing heavily.

"Not bad, little boy." Hisoka said looking at Gon with a smirk on his face. "Is that a fishing rod? What a fascinating weapon." Hisoka then walks towards Gon. "Will you let me see it?"

"Your fight…" Leorio interrupted "is with me!" He ran towards Hisoka and Hisoka uppercutted him in an instant knocking him unconscious. Gon tries to attack Hisoka from behind but he disappears into a whiff of smoke and appears behind him.

"You came to rescue your friend? What a good boy." Gon tries to create distance from Hisoka and manages to distract him by hitting the ground in front of him, creating a pile of dirt to fly up. He tries to attack Hisoka from behind but Hisoka reaches his hand out and grabs onto Gon's neck; choking him while enjoying the pained look on Gon's face. As he tightened his grip around Gon's neck, two fans surrounded by fire made its way for Hisoka and he immediately dropped Gon as he jumped to dodge the attacks.

Following the original route of the fans, they went back to Tsubaki. "Oh, it appears you did get stronger. Who taught you such things, your mother?" Tsubaki eyes widened as she tightened her fists, "back then-"

"I do not need to hear your excuses."

"Then leave us. I do not want my friends' lives to be in danger because of our differences."

"Do not fear. I will not kill your friend. He passed. They both do." He gave a little chuckle. "Yes, you pass too." Hisoka said with a smile. "Grow up and become a fine hunter, all of you."`

Bring! Bring! Bring!

Hisoka took out a walkie-talkie type device.

"Hisoka, you should get back here. We're nearly at the Phase Two site." A robotic voice said.

"Okay, I'll be right there," Hisoka then started to walk away. "It's always good to have friends." Hisoka picked up Leorio and carried him on his shoulder. "You can find our own way back, yes?" Hisoka asked as he looked towards Gon.

The only thing Gon can do at the moment is just nod.

"That's a good boy." Hisoka then looks over to Tsubaki and gives a small smirk as he walks off with Leorio and disappears into the fog.

Gon is on the floor kneeling, he is breathing heavily and sweat is falling all over his face.

"Gon! Are you alright?" Tsubaki yelled while running toward him.

"Gon! Tsubaki!" Kurapika yelled as he ran back toward the opening.

* * *

"This way. I can smell Leorio's cologne." Gon said while he, Kurapika and Tsubaki follow a path to try to make it to the Second Phase. "Ne, Tsubaki… What did Hisoka mean when he said we passed?"

"Hisoka was acting as a judge." Tsubaki replied.

"Judge?"

"Hai. Hisoka probably has his own way of evaluating a person's strength. He was probably testing the applicants strength and you and Leorio must've met his standards."

"I see but I was unable to do anything."

"Eh? But didn't you land your fist hit on him?" Kurapika interrupted.

"That was because I surprised him. Besides, Leorio passed even though he lost…"

"hmm… he probably sensed you were kindred spirits. I seriously doubt that Hisoka could qualify as a hunter but I must admit that he did impress me with his superhuman agility and graceful technique."

"Killing you now would've been a waste in his perspective," Tsubaki added. "Even though he's not the same as before, I could tell by the way he looked at you, he saw your potential and he didn't want to risk eliminating that."

"You wanna know what's funny, I was scared but I was pretty excited too. I was so scared I wanted to run away. That must have been what you felt when you first saw him right, Tsubaki? But I was also really excited! Isn't it strange?"

* * *

At the gate where the remaining applicants remain only a few moments are left until the phase is over. At this point in time, 22O applicants have withdrawn and there are 149 applicants remaining.

Kurapika, Gon, and Tsubaki finally made it to the end in time and reunited with Leorio though he doesn't remember his confrontation with Hisoka, they decided not to tell him about it.

"Excellent work everybody!" Satotz began while standing in front of a large decorated gate. "Phase Two will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park. Well then, I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you." And with those words Satotz walked away in his weird manner of walking.

A rumbling sound was heard and the gate was beginning to open revealing a huge mansion.

"Will all the applicants that have past the First Phase please enter? Welcome!" A young woman with teal hair put up into 5 strands welcomed the remaining applicants. Behind her was a very tall and large man. "I'm Menchi, the Second Phase examiner."

"And I'm Buhara" the large man said "The other examiner."

Menchi stood up and told them that the Second Phase will involve cooking. Everyone was astonished by the decree and felt insulted that they had to be asked to cook.

"Why are we cooking?! We're here to take the Hunter exam!" Todo said.

"That's because… we're Gourmet Hunters"

Everyone started to laugh and Menchi was getting irritated.

"So…" Todo began stifling his laughter "what exactly are we supposed to cook?"

"The special ingredient is pork!" Buhara said.

"You're free to use meat from the Biska Forest pigs. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork. And you only pass if we both find it delicious."

"Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking, I'll be judging more than just taste." Menchi stated.

"Then" Buhara said. "The Second Phase will now begin!" He tapped his hand on his stomach and a "gong" sound formed. Everyone ran to the forest and tried to capture a pig. At first everyone was having difficulties but each and every single applicant managed to catch a Great Stamp. When they brought the pig back, the only thing the applicants have done was just roast the pig. Menchi has not taken a bite of the pigs and gave them an "X" tag as Buhara gave them all an "O" tag. Therefore, Menchi ended the Phase and failed everyone there.

Satotz, who was watching from afar, called the Chairman and informed him of the current situation. The chairman decided to head to the site in person.

"Let me clarify this. We frequently venture into the dens of ferocious creatures to gather ingredients. Every hunter knows some form of martial art. You lack focus and the willingness to experiment. That alone disqualifies you from becoming a hunter!" Menchi said with a serious voice.

Silence befell everyone and they were all full of anger. Hisoka took out his card and prepared to attack Menchi but was interrupted when a voice called out.

"With that being said, it is excessive to fail every single applicant." Everyone looked to the sky to find out the source of the voice. A blimp was flying with a "XX" symbol on its side. A man jumped from the blimp and his landing made a "boom" sound. An old man with a short white ponytail, a beard and big ears walked toward them.

"The Chairman of the Selection Committee" Menchi said. "He's in charge of the Hunter exam. Chairman Netero."

"So… Menchi-kun" Netero began. "You failed the applicants because you disapproved of their reluctance to try new things?"

"No, Sir. I lost my cool when one of the applicants started insulting us Gourmet Hunters. And I made the exam harder than necessary."

"So you were aware that this exam was unacceptable."

"Yes, Sir. I apologize…"

"How about we redo the Second Phase but you have to participate in the new test that you propose."

"Very well then. Then the new challenge will be… boiled eggs!" Menchi said with a smile on her face.

Menchi asked the Chairman to take them to Mt. Split-in-half to begin the Second Phase. There is a crevice that was formed in the middle of the mountain and inside the crevice is a Spider eagle's web. Menchi explains to them that the Spider Eagle hatches their eggs and hangs them at the end of their webs. Their task is to collect those eggs. Menchi is the first to jump down and she catches onto one of the webs. When she feels a rush of air hit her hair, she immediately jumps down and grabs onto an egg. A gust of wind then appears and she is blown back up onto the mountain.

"Now it's your turn." Menchi declared.

"I've been waiting for this," Gon said. "Whee!" Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Killua, and Tsubaki all jumped off the cliff and grabbed onto the webs. The other applicants followed suit and the webs were full of people. As the web was about to break while holding all the weight on it, Gon gave the signal for when it was okay to jump. Everyone jumped on his signal and grabbed onto an egg and the updraft brought them all back to land. Everyone boiled their eggs and were enjoying it's magnificent taste.

"Ne, Todo-San!" Gon said while holding his egg. "Want a bite?"

Todo took a bite of the egg and was amazed at how delicious it tasted.

"Now you've experienced the joy of tasting something delicious. We hunters are risking our lives for such joy." Menchi said.

"I was completely outclassed this year. I'll be back next year." Todo said while bowing to Menchi.

The applicants have learned that whether they're a black list hunter or a gourmet hunter, calling themselves hunters requires an enormous amount of determination. Only 42 applicants remain.


	8. Hunter Exam: Phase 3

**[[ Just wanna say thank you for all those who have taken the time to read this.**

 **And another big thank you to SoulxHunter for taking the time to review this story. Thank you very much!**

 **Another chapter for you lovelies, enjoy! ]]**

* * *

"Maya-Sama, I have news to report." The assassin that Maya sent to watch over Hisoka has returned and it seems as if he has some valuable news to share to Maya.

"What have you learned?" Maya questioned as she took a seat at her desk.

"The boy, the Aomori Prince, he has learned of the Machiyo secret, the knowledge of the book, he has obtained it somehow. Do you wish for me to kill him?"

"No, if we do anything hasty, both the King and Queen will have our heads. I will let Aiko know, return to your post. Your job is done."

"Yes, my lady." The man then disappeared from the room and Maya made her way to Aiko's chambers to share the news.

. . .

"Why have you summoned me here, Aiko?" Ikuto asked as he entered Aiko's chambers.

"I was right about the boy, you see, he has knowledge of the book." Aiko explained.

Ikuto's eyes narrowed, "Then I suppose we have to carry out our plan after all. Shall I call for the Fujiwara's?"

"The boy's village lies in the Southern Sector of Taira. If we want to rid him of any relations to his past, would it be best to move him to the Northern Sector?" Maya chimed in.

"We will discuss our plans when we get in touch with the Fujiwara's. Maya, send them an urgent letter. We must move according to plan and quickly. The longer we stall, the boy may be one step closer to finding the book."

"Understood." Maya left the room and quickly did as she was told.

A few hours had gone by and the Fujiwara King and Queen finally reached the Northern palace in secret. The five of them (Aiko, Ikuto, Maya, Fujiwara King and Queen) made their way to the secret base underneath the palace that was guarding the book of the One King.

"You're saying that this boy is the successor of the One King?" The Southern King questioned.

"There is no doubt about it. There is no knowledge of the book out there and those who do have that knowledge, except for us, have already died. That boy, the moment I laid eyes on him, I had an unshakeable feeling and I know he came here to look for something. And that something was this book."

"So what's the plan?" The Southern Queen asked, "Are we supposed to kill an innocent child, a _prince_?"

"No, we will not kill him but alter his memories and of those who knew him." Ikuto explained.

"Alter his memories? How is such a feat possible?" The King questioned.

"This book is powered by Nen." Maya began to explain, "Out of us five, only my Onee-San was taught Nen in the family. She's actually the strongest Nen user we have. This book has a spell that will allow us to alter anyone's memory but it comes with a price."

"The price being my life force." Aiko added.

"If you care about your son and his rule, this should be no problem." Maya commented with a small smirk.

"What about your daughter, Tsubaki? How will this affect her? I understand they were close even though she is to wed Riku. At the ball a few weeks ago, they shared a moment, didn't they?" The Queen asked as she looked over to Aiko who knew exactly what she was talking about.

"If our plan goes as planned, Tsubaki should no recollection of him being of royal blood. He should have no memories of it either. All those that knew him will be affected by this spell and will be knocked unconscious for a few hours. During that time, my assassins will transport the body of the Aomori Prince to the local orphanage in Northern Taira. The assassins will also return us to where we belong."

"Will we remember any of this?" The King asked.

"According to the notes that the One King has left in the book, those that cast the spell and are connected will retain all memories of each spell even if that spell alters or erases memories. As long as we keep in contact through Aiko and her Nen, we will remember today's event clearly." Ikuto explained.

"And we must do everything we can to protect our families and our crowns." Aiko added, "Are we clear?" Aiko looked at the faces surrounding her and everyone nodded their heads. It's time.

"Then, I suppose we should say goodbye to the Aomori Prince." Aiko stated as she flipped open the book to find the correct page titled, "Altering Memories."

Focusing her Nen throughout her body, Aiko was surrounded by a white light of energy and the book reacted in response. Maya, Ikuto, and the Fujiwara King, and Queen held onto each other as the Nen also surged to their bodies.

"O' Heavenly book of the One King, hear my cries and plea! In exchange for my life, I shall make a deal! A deal to alter the memories of the Aomori Prince, Hisoka, in which he will never remember that he is of royal blood and that all that who knew him will lose this memory as well. I sacrifice my life for this exchange, now hear my plea!" As Aiko finished her incantation, a large burst of light emitted from the book and targeted everyone that knew of Hisoka's title. All those that were targeted have been knocked unconscious as well as Aiko and her group.

* * *

The applicants were headed to the Third Phase sight and were dropped off by the chairman to a large, circular stone tower with absolutely nothing on it. They were told that the tower was called "Trick Tower" and they have 72 hours to make it to the bottom alive to pass this phase and go on to the next.

The most obvious way to get to the bottom of the tower would be to climb down and an experienced rock climber decided to do so but ended up getting eaten by a monster on his way down thus revealing that that is not an option to get to the bottom of the tower.

As Kurapika and the others were examining the tower for any signs of escape, Kurapika noticed that Tsubaki was nowhere to be seen. "Oi, Leorio, have you seen Tsubaki anywhere?"

"Eh?" Leorio observed his surroundings and couldn't make out the white haired princess anywhere, "That's weird, she was with us earlier, wasn't she?"

At this moment, Gon and Killua told Kurapika and Leorio that they have discovered trap doors that flip and go inside of the tower.

"You think Tsubaki fell through one of the doors?" Leorio asked.

"That can be the only explanation." Kurapika stated.

The group of four each looks for a door since only one person can use each door and as they each find their own perspective door, they bid each other farewell and jump. However, the four of them end up in the same room but Tsubaki is still nowhere in sight.

. . .

"Ahh!" Tsubaki was caught by surprise as she suddenly stumbled upon a trap door and fell through leaving behind her comrades. She landed in a small dark room and there was a wristwatch placed on top of a small pedestal. The large sign on the wall read: "Room of Chance: Pick the right door or face a fight against your deepest fears."

"Fight against my fears? What on earth does that mean?" Tsubaki questioned as she put on the watch.

"It means, pick the right door and you won't have to suffer!" A voice called over the intercom.

"Who's there?"

"My name is Lippo. I'm the prison warden here as well as the third phase Examiner. There are multiple routes throughout this tower and you have chosen the path of chance, in other words, luck. Luck is needed in the world of Hunters and sometimes, without it, you'll die. Your route may seem the simplest but also the most dangerous. Good luck and don't die!"

"Luck, huh? Didn't have much of that growing up." In front of Tsubaki were two identical doors for Tsubaki to choose from. One will lead to her escape and the other, well, who knows.

"If this is about luck, there isn't much thinking or analyzing in it. So, here goes nothing." Tsubaki heads towards the door on her right and slowly opens it. The room is completely empty and is enveloped in darkness. The only light provided is from the door that is currently opened. As she stepped further into the room, the door behind her closed and darkness took over completely.

"It's empty? Which door did I pick?" The room was silent for a moment but then, without any warning, a barrage of thoughts and memories flooded into her mind. Mixes of voices were screaming at the top of their lungs, another batch of voices were talking in whispers, and random scars and bruises started to appear on Tsubaki's body. "Agh!" Tsubaki's ears were ringing and her head was pounding intensely.

Without even the strength to stand, Tsubaki collapsed to the floor in agonizing pain. The voices were so loud that Tsubaki couldn't even hear her own thoughts.

"Well well well, it seems I am your deepest fear, is that right, Tsuki-Chan?" A chilling and deep voice spoke as if he was in the room with her.

Upon hearing the voice, Tsubaki froze in fear; her eyes widened and she was shaking uncontrollably. "There's no way you can be here. How did you find me?!" She questioned in between agonized breaths. However, she was yelling at an empty room.

"Don't you remember what I told you when you escaped? I'll find you and next time, there will be no escape." A cruel laugh followed and Tsubaki put more pressure over her ears but the chilling voice wouldn't go away.

 _Hisoka!_ Tsubaki called out in desperation as the voices were taking over her mind.

* * *

 _Piano lessons on Monday, etiquette classes and chores on Tuesday, study about History and Literature on Wednesday, assassination drills with the Machiyo on Thursday, piano and assassination drills on Friday, assisting the Queen and studying on Saturday, attend charity events and greet the people on Sunday. And between all that, get ordered around by Mama, who's stuck on bed rest, and get punished if I make one mistake. I can't do it anymore._

"Tsubaki-Hime! Stop! Come back here!" Maria's voice yelled as the wooden doors of a gate suddenly swung open. A young Tsubaki wearing a furry white winter coat and boots ran away from the palace with tears in her eyes.

 _Run! Keep running!_ Tsubaki had no destination; she simply wanted to get out of the palace. This is the second time Tsubaki has run away from the palace and the townspeople knew that when Tsubaki was like this, it was best to leave her be. Tsubaki ran for about 15 minutes until she stopped to catch her breath in front of a flower shop.

As she examined the shop, she noticed that the small alleyway between the flower shop and the jewelry shop next door led to the woods. Tsubaki made her way to the alleyway and was just barely able to make it through smoothly. She continued to run through the bushes and approached a circular clearing that was surrounded by large beautiful trees covered in snow that sparkled as the sunlight reflected off them. However, Tsubaki wasn't the only one to find that clearing.

"A boy? Is he sleeping? It's freezing out, he doesn't have a jacket?" Tsubaki questioned as she walked closer to the sleeping boy.

A boy, about a year or two older than Tsubaki, was lying in the field surrounded by the crisp white snow. He had short red hair and was wearing a thin oversized sweatshirt with the symbol of a heart on the left side of his sweater zipper and a diamond on the right side. Tsubaki was surprised to see him so underdressed in this type of weather.

"Where could he come from?" Tsubaki continued to examine the sleeping boy.

"Hnn…" The boy was starting to wake up from his slumber. Tsubaki stopped where she was and just looked at him. The boy sat up and rubbed his eyes. He then noticed an unfamiliar presence and looked towards Tsubaki revealing his amber eyes.

The boy's eyes locked with Tsubaki's. _Such beautiful eyes… why do they feel so familiar? Do I know this boy?_ "W-Who are you?"

The boy rubbed his eyes once more and answered, "Me? My name is Hisoka, what's yours?" He asked with a gentle smile.

"Eh? I'm Tsubaki, you… don't know who I am?" _But he seems so familiar._

"Eh? Ah… Am I supposed to?"

"Ah, no, not really, forget I asked. Why… are you here?"

"I found this place not that long ago, I come here to think and look at the sky. What about you?"

"I ran-er, I needed a break from my family. I happened to stumble upon the clearing when I stopped in front of the flower shop earlier. Do your parents not worry about you coming here? They could have at least given you a thicker jacket."

"My family can't afford clothes like you." Hisoka stated as he scanned Tsubaki head to toe, "You're not an ordinary person are you? I can tell just looking at you."

"No, no I'm not. My name is Sakurai Tsubaki, Princess of the Sakurai Family."

"Ah, you're the Princess. So, Princess' get lonely too?"

"Eh?" This caught Tsubaki off guard.

"Well, you wouldn't be in the woods otherwise, would you?"

Tsubaki gave a small smile, "You got me."

"Ne, do you… wanna be friends?" Hisoka asked with his bright amber eyes piercing.

"Friends? Are you sure? With someone like me…"

"Why not? It seems we can both use a friend. What do you say, Tsubaki?"

"Sure, if that's okay that is."

Hisoka was a bit surprised at first but then he had a large smile on his face as he came towards Tsubaki and gave her a hug.

"Then this spot will be our hideout!" Hisoka declared.

"Hai!" Tsubaki responded with a smile.

* * *

It has been two hours since the exam has started and meanwhile, Gon and his friends are going through the route of majority rule with the rookie crusher Tonpa.

As for Tsubaki, the demons in her head have yet to escape and she is almost on the brink of insanity. "I have to try and beat this. It's the only way to get out of here." Tsubaki tried to stabilize herself and get on her feet as slash marks continued to appear on her body. "Come out here!" She yelled, "If you want to pick a fight, then bring it!" Tsubaki's eyes were full of determination and her harsh amethyst eyes sparkled through the darkness. The voices slowly started to fade away but a mysterious man with a black and white mask started to walk towards Tsubaki.

"So, you finally showed your face, huh?" Tsubaki said as she conjured her fans by her side.

"You will never defeat me. I will always be with you." The voice spoke.

Tsubaki threw her fans at the man but the man gracefully dodged all her attacks. As the fans continued to circle the room and target the man, Tsubaki brought her right index finger to her mouth and blew on it causing a rush of fire to follow a path of string that was put in place by the fans. The room was starting to engulf in fire and darkness was burning out. The fire surrounded the man but it seems as if it was not taking any affect, Tsubaki was stunned.

"You think you can defeat me with fire? Haha!" The man's roaring laugh echoed louder than the crackling sounds of the fire and he lunged at Tsubaki with a katana. Tsubaki managed to quickly grab a hold of her katana and block the attack last minute but the man continued to lunge at Tsubaki.

After a while, Tsubaki was covered in even more slashes and scars, as she lay helpless against the wall with multiple cuts dripping with blood. "How do I defeat this guy? The fire wouldn't work. Calm down and think." _You will never defeat me. I will always be with you._ "That might be it!"

Tsubaki called forth her fans and spun it around herself furiously. With the intensity of the heat and the lack of oxygen, Tsubaki was struggling to breath and her skin was starting to burn up a little bit, however, the same events seem to be occurring to the man in the mask as well. As Tsubaki was struggling for air, so was the man in the mask. "It seems the only way to injure you, is to injure myself." Tsubaki spoke aloud between her breaths. As the fire continued to engulf Tsubaki, she, as well as the masked man, collapsed.

As soon as the man collapsed, he disappeared from the room, the fire was extinguished, and the door to the next room was revealed. Gathering her strength, Tsubaki slowly made her way to the next route.

. . .

It has been seven hours since the exam started and Hisoka was the first to finish the Third Phase with a total time of six hours.

As Tsubaki was finishing up her last route, she followed the path to the exit and was taken to a large circular room where Hisoka was waiting.

"Applicant #406 is the second to pass the Third Phase. Total time: seven hours and fourteen minutes." Keeping her hand on the wall, Tsubaki immediately collapsed against the wall and knocked out.

Hisoka looked over to Tsubaki and was able to easily tell how brutal her path must have been for her, after all, to him, she was weak, weaker than him at least. A few hours later, more applicants started to fill the room. Many were exhausted and decided to take a nap as a way to recharge before the next phase.

One applicant, however, started to grow curious about Tsubaki's state of mind and tried to approach her.

Hisoka, who was building a house of cards, threw a card at the wall between the man and Tsubaki and warned; "I wouldn't, if I were you. Unless of course, you wish to lose your head." Hisoka gave a grin, giving the impression that that would be an enjoyable sight to see, "She is not in the right state of mind as of now, one mistake and she could chop of your head in an instant."

"I just wanted to make sure she was alive. A girl shouldn't be here if it's going to end up getting her killed. I bet even you can tell how weak she is."

"Who are you calling weak?" Tsubaki's voice grew serious as she suddenly appeared behind the man with her katana at his neck. Tsubaki's demeanor changed and her eyes grew dark.

"W-Whoa, calm down!"

Hisoka grinned at the scene before him as others gave tense and fearful looks, "As you can tell, applicant 406 is alive and well. Best to heed my advice next time. I assure you, she will not hesitate to take off your head."

The man escaped from Tsubaki's grasp and ran as far away as possible from her.

Tsubaki was losing her balance yet again and used her katana to get a grip on the ground. Tsubaki's dark eyes were fading and she lost consciousness once again.

Hisoka narrowed his eyes at Tsubaki and gave a small chuckle to himself. _It appears the Machiyo did a number on you, huh?_


	9. Hunter Exam: Phase 4 (Part One)

**[[ Its time for, personally, one of the best parts of the anime, the hunt!**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this and again, thank you SoulxHunter for your review!**

 **Enjoy this chapter lovelies~ ]]**

A few weeks have passed since Aiko performed the altercation of memory spell and Aiko has been confined to bed rest. After performing the incantation, Aiko's Nen has been drained considerably and she barely has the strength to move about.

"Onee-Chan, how are you feeing?" Maya asked as she brought a tray of tea to Aiko's chambers.

"Better than most days. How are things in the palace?" Aiko asked as she sat up to grab the cup of tea.

"Well, Tsubaki has run away again. The servants are out looking for her but I doubt they'll be able to find her. Are you sure trapping her inside the palace is a good idea?"

"That boy is in our village and I am not going to risk them two meeting again, who knows if they'll remember something just by looking each other in the eye. The only factor I can control is to keep Tsubaki inside the palace at all times. If the little brat wants to keep running away from her duties, then I suppose we will have to change her punishment."

"You aren't thinking of doing what our mother did, are you?"

"Of course I am. We wouldn't be where we are now if mother didn't put us through the training with the Machiyo. I understand she started her drills this week, how has that been going?"

"She doesn't have it in her to kill. She's too… soft, just like her father."

"Then it seems we have to put her through the Special Ops training. I'm sure if I survived, she can too."

"The Special Ops? You think she's Special Ops material?"

"It's not about whether she's Special Ops material or not, it's about making her into a Special Ops assassin. If we can distract her, she will have no excuse to leave the palace. We just need to survive a few more years and the wedding between Tsubaki and Prince Riku will finally occur. Once the union forms, Taira will be united and the need for our One King will no longer remain. We just need to figure out a way to destroy the book afterwards."

"If that is what you desire, Onee-Chan."

"Maya, also, keep an eye on Tsubaki. I want to know where she runs off too and if she happens to be meeting anyone."

"Understood." Maya bowed to the Queen and left the room to return to her chambers where a man dressed in all black clothes was kneeling before her.

"Shihou, if anyone asks, you're watching over Tsubaki and she isn't doing anything suspicious. But do send Kaizou to keep an eye on Aiko."

"The Queen, Maya-Sama?"

"Yes, the poison is slowly affecting her but she should be getting more ill by the moment. Once the transfer of power papers are completed, I will make sure you are all free from Aiko's wrath and your families are all compensated as I become Queen."

"Yes, Maya-Sama, as you command." Shihou then disappeared from the room and acted as he was commanded to.

* * *

"Hey, Tsubaki, how are you feeling?" Leorio asked.

"I am feeling much better, thank you."

"Are you sure? We heard you were unconscious from the time you got out until the time we appeared." Kurapika explained.

"The route I chose took a toll on me, I just needed time to recharge my energy. I am fine now, thank you."

"Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations for getting through trick tower." Lippo interrupted, "Only the Fourth Phase and the Final Phase remain. The Fourth Phase will take place there." Lippo pointed to an island behind him, "Zevil Island. Let us proceed." A man then wheeled out a small table with a box placed on top. Lippo tells the applicants that they then need to draw lots. Confusion erupts between the applicants as they start to question the examiner.

"Why do we need to draw lots?" An applicant asked.

Lippo replied with an eerie smile and stated, "To determine who will hunt and who will be hunter. Inside this box are 25 numbered cards. Meaning, your ID numbers are on those cards. Now, I need you guys to draw the cards in the order of which you exited the tower. Will the first person come forward?"

The applicants were looking around to see who was first and then Hisoka stepped up to the box and picked his card. Tsubaki was next, followed by Gittarackur, Hanzo, Geretta, Pokkle, Gozu, Agon, Ponzu, Ryu, Siper, Shishito, Kyu, Sommy, Umori, Imori, Amori, Bodoro, Kenmi, Bourbon, Kurapika, Killua, Gon, Leorio and Tonpa.

"Has everyone got a card? Then please remove the seals from your cards. The card indicates your target." Lippo explained.

The applicants began murmuring amongst themselves and quickly covered up their badges.

"This box recorded each number you guys drew. Which means, you are free to dispose of the cards if you wish. The objective is to steal your target's ID tag. You're free to use any method you choose in order to obtain the ID tags; even if it means you have to kill your target. However, listen carefully; your tags are worth 3 points, your target's tag is worth three points, and every other tag is worth one point. You need a total of 6 points to pass to the final phase. That is the condition for clearing the Hunter Exam's Fourth Phase."

In order to reach Zevil Island, the applicants made their way by boat. Upon reaching the island, the applicants were told to disembark in the order by which they cleared the Third Phase. Once the first person leaves, the next will have to wait two minutes before they can depart and so on. The applicants will stay on the island for a week and their task is to gather the six points and return to the boat as soon as possible. With a blow of a whistle, the exam has started and Hisoka steps off the boat first.

 _This is my only chance… I have to find you,_ Tsubaki thought to herself as she looked at the slowly fading Hisoka. Breaking her thoughts, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever it is that you need to do, know that you're not alone." Kurapika stated with a gentle smile.

Tsubaki looked to her friends and gave a smile in return, "If any of you, by chance, have Hisoka as your target, please just give me a moment to talk to him. All the chances I had, it was only full of hate. For once, I would like to have a simple conversation with him."

"We understand. Good luck and don't die." Leorio added.

"Uno, who… exactly are you?" Killua butted in.

"Oh, that's right! We haven't introduced the two of you yet!" Gon said, "Killua, this is Tsubaki, she's a Princess. And Tsubaki, this is Killua, he's an assassin." While giving such straightforward introductions, Gon couldn't help but have a large grin on his face.

"Princess? Ah wait, that birthmark, I've seen it before somewhere. Are you… the Sakurai Princess? The one with the 1OO Billion Jenny bounty?!" Killua shouted that louder than he actually intended to and it seems he piqued the interest of the applicants for they were starting to look their way.

Tsubaki immediately ran over to Killua and covered his mouth, "Shh…"

"1OO Billion Jenny?!" Leorio questioned in a loud hushed tone with a shocked expression, "You didn't tell us that, what exactly did you do?"

Tsubaki gave a sigh, "I was born into the Royal Family. That's all." Tsubaki looked to the ground with narrowed eyes and a wavering heart. "Che." She let out as if she was angry with Killua. "Thank you Zoldyck Family assassin for telling them about the bounty."

Killua looked back at Tsubaki with a surprised face, "Eh? You know about my family?"

"My family, well my mother's family, has a group of assassins they train as well. I was part of the Special Ops and training with the Special Ops means training with the Zoldyck's. We did dual training with you guys often and my partner was actually your older brother, Illumi."

"You were Onii-San's training partner back then? That can't be right, what I heard-" Before Killua could finish his thought, the examiner yelled for the next person to proceed.

"Good luck Tsubaki, we'll all meet back here, right?" Gon asked.

"Of course, you guys too."

"Oi, let's have a match one day; to see who's stronger." Killua challenged with a smile.

"You're on." Tsubaki returned his smile and made her leave through the trees.

"Ne, Killua, what did you hear about Tsubaki? Earlier you were gonna say something but got cut off." Gon intrigued.

"I'm curious to know as well." Kurapika pitched in.

"I heard that my older brother's partner was a top notch assassin, in the top five of her group. I heard she was a fearsome person and that she would not hesitate to take blood and yet, if Tsubaki really is that person, why is she so…"

"Nice?" Kurapika asked as he finished Killua's sentence.

"That and she seem to have no lust for blood. Assassins, they all have a lust for blood. The fact that she's different is what we need to be aware of the most." -

Two hours have passed since the Fourth Phase has started and night has fallen. Emerging from a cluster of bushes, Tsubaki has finally found Hisoka. He was sitting against a tree trunk, observing the water beyond the edge.

Hisoka turns his attention to Tsubaki and gives her a small amusing smile, "Well, well, well. Now that you've found me, what are you planning to do?"

"S-Soka…" Tsubaki whispers as if it's her last breath. Her expression has changed to one of heartbreak and her eyes were wavering as she locked eyes with Hisoka. "Please, listen to what I have to say."

"Oh? Why should I?" He asked as he returned a powerful gaze to Tsubaki.

"When we were little, I wanted to tell you the truth, I did, but I couldn't." Tsubaki took a step closer towards Hisoka, "I'm-," However, she was interrupted mid-sentence as Hisoka appeared before her with a card at her throat.

"Let me ask you something, little princess, if I was royalty, would any of this have ever happened?" At this point, Hisoka's eyes are deeply locked with Tsubaki's. The bright hues of their amber and amethyst eyes burned through the dark sky.

"No." Tsubaki answered with a tear falling down her cheek. She felt as if she betrayed everything they built when they were little, "No, it wouldn't have."

Hisoka narrowed his eyes at her answer.

"I'm sorry." The words she longed to say escaped between her whispers.

"Oh dear, if sorry solved all this world's problems, we wouldn't be where we are now, would we?" Slowing moving his card away from Tsubaki, Hisoka looked at her one last time before walking past her into the bushes, "One piece of advice Tsukime, watch yourself here." With those final words, Hisoka disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

"Special Ops? You're asking me to train with the Machiyo?" A young Tsubaki questioned as she looked at her mother, the Queen, with a confused look.

"I am not asking, I am demanding. You have already begun your drills with the Machiyo and now I am going to switch you to training with the Special Ops. A family close to mine, the Zoldycks, will be training with you. They have a son around your age, he is a wonderful assassin, and he will teach you everything there is to know."

"But I don't want to be an assassin! Papa taught me to solve our kingdom's differences with wisdom and kindness, not with violence."

"You're not your father. And as I said earlier, this is a command. Whether you like it or not, you are going to be a Machiyo assassin and you will devote all your extra time into the Special Ops training. Do you understand?"

"No. I am not doing this." This isn't the first time Tsubaki stood up to Aiko but it was a mistake on her part to do so today. Aiko slowly stood from where she was a grabbed a hold of her cane; "I heard you've been running from the Palace, from your duties. You are a Princess, should I tell your father you are neglecting your duties?"

Tsubaki clenched her fists.

"I didn't think so. Now kneel and receive your punishment. You start your Special Ops training tomorrow afternoon."

After a brief moment of hesitation, Tsubaki closed her eyes and dropped to the floor, she gave up on fighting against her mother and took the caning.

A few minutes have passed and as she left the Queen's Chambers, Ikuto was seen walking through the hallway. Unable to face her father, Tsubaki made a dash for it and once again, ran from the Palace.

As Tsubaki ran through the snow to her solitude, she was wiping away her tears. Arriving at her secret hideout, Hisoka wasn't there. The little princess sat against a tree and looked up at the falling sow through the opening of the trees above. Her eyes were empty and she had on a blank expression on her face.

Hisoka arrives shortly after but Tsubaki was unable to notice his presence. Seeing Tsubaki from afar, Hisoka is mesmerized by her beautiful appearance. She is wearing a white and pale blue kimono with her hair put up elegantly. A graceful aura was surrounding her. He looks at Tsubaki with large bright eyes and notices how she sparkles against the pure white snow. A tear drops from her eyes and it looked like a crystal falling against the snow.

Out of nowhere, Tsubaki feels gentle warmth on her shoulders and is pulled into a deep embrace. "It's okay to cry, Tsubaki."

Tears immediately began to form in her eyes, "Is it really okay?" She asked while sniffling.

"Mhmm." Tsubaki's tears were already flowing and she couldn't hold them back anymore. Hisoka looks at Tsubaki with heartfelt eyes and notices splotches of red on the back of her kimono. Hisoka narrows his eyes at the sight and thinks to himself, _But… I'll never forgive anyone who makes my Tsubaki cry._ He rests his head next to her ear and whispers to her, "I promise I will always protect you and your smile."

Hearing that from Hisoka surprised her but she gave a gentle smile in return as her tears continue to flow.

Night fell and the two decided to stay in the woods for the night. The two were snuggled up tightly with a blanket as they observed the moon and the stars.

"Tsuki…" Hisoka began.

"Eh?" Tsubaki turned her attention to Hisoka who was still looking above at the constellations.

"Tsuki as in moon. Me as in Hime. Tsukime." Hisoka explained as he looked at Tsubaki. "Is it okay if I call you Tsukime?"

"Eh? Why?"

"Because!" Hisoka gave a big smile, "Your beauty outshines even that of the moon! I'm sure the moon would be happy to have a princess like you!"

Tsubaki was caught off guard; she didn't know how to respond to such a statement. "Th-Then, what about you?" She asked while getting all flustered, "A nickname?"

"Hmm…" Hisoka questioned as he was thinking what his nickname should be.

"S-Soka… How about Soka?"

"Soka, huh? Sounds good!" Hisoka gave a laugh and the both started laughing together. The forest was filled with their warm smiles and their heartfelt laughs.

. . .

"Hnn…" A sleeping Tsubaki opened her deep amethyst colored eyes and looked at her surrounding. "I must've fallen asleep, how careless of me. Tsubaki looked towards the water and the moon was shining brightly tonight, "Does all the good we shared, outweigh all the bad, Soka?"

* * *

"Ne, Tsukime!" The red haired boy called out to the princess as they were playing in the forest, "Do you want to come to my house and play?"

"Eh? Hisoka's house?" She thought about it for a minute, _Now that he mentions it, I don't really know much about Hisoka's family._ "Sure!"

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Hisoka yelled as he ran through his front door and threw his backpack on the floor.

Tsubaki stood in front of Hisoka's house in shock. The house was very small and looked completely run down. _I didn't know Soka's family lived so horribly… I never even heard of this district before. How can we, the Royal Family, live in a huge palace with rooms that serve no purpose when there are people suffering like this?_ Tsubaki scanned her surroundings and saw that many people wore very thin clothing and there were even some people sleeping in the streets. _Why are we not helping these people? Why is Papa not helping these people?_

"Tsukime, come inside!" Hisoka instructed as he broke Tsubaki's thoughts. The boy was waving his hand at the girl to quickly come inside.

"Tsubaki-Hime." A beautiful tall woman greeted while bowing in front of Tsubaki.

"It is a pleasure to have you in our home." A built handsome man greeted while bowing towards Tsubaki.

"Ah, you don't need to be so formal." Tsubaki assured, "I should thank you for having me here today." Tsubaki said while bowing to his parents.

Tsubaki spent a couple hours at Hisoka's and was able to have dinner with his family. The atmosphere was very loving and warm, something she forgot while living at the palace. However, when Tsubaki left, that atmosphere quickly turned cold.

"How dare you invite that filthy princess to our home!" Hisoka's mother yelled out in disgust.

"You think just because you bring the Princess home, we'll change our mind about getting rid of you?" Hisoka's father commented.

"She can give you whatever you want, I'm friends with her. Please, just don't leave me!" Hisoka begged as he grabbed onto his father's pant leg.

"Go to your room!" Hisoka's father yelled in his loud voice, kicking Hisoka off his leg.

Hisoka couldn't argue with his parents and so he did what he was told to and ascended the stairs.

"Jeez, I can't stand that boy. Always running away and getting in trouble. He's a monster dear, he seems to have developed some strange power, we need to hurry and call Lutz-San. If the Machiyo ever finds out that the two of them have met, they'll kill us immediately. We have to go through with the trade."

"You're right. I'll call him in the morning. We can't have Hisoka here anymore."

. . .

A few days have passed since Tsubaki came over to Hisoka's house and when the two of them reunited in the forest again, Tsubaki noticed that Hisoka wasn't like his usual self.

"Soka, is everything okay?"

"Eh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, I think I'm just a little tired."

"Then you should go home and rest. I can't stay here long anyway; I have training to get to. We'll meet again tonight?"

"Sure, good luck." Hisoka managed to put on a smile for Tsubaki but when Tsubaki left, Hisoka stayed in the forest and decided to spend the night there. _I can't tell Tsukime that my parents are shipping me off to some other family. There has to be something I can do._

That night, Hisoka parents went to the forest and making sure he was asleep, covered his head with a bag. Suddenly waking up, he felt himself being held back and was unable to break away from the tight grips.

"Who's there?!" Hisoka yelled out.

"Be quiet!" His mother demanded.

 _I guess it's time, huh? Sorry Tsukime and goodbye._

"We have him, now please Lutz-San, take him away from us!"

A man walked forward but his face was covered by the darkness, "Before we do so, remember, this is a trade, do you remember what you were supposed to get me?"

"What you were asking us to get you was impossible, there was no way we could kidnap the Princess! But we have our most valuable possessions here for you." Hisoka's father explained as he threw a fairly large sack towards the man.

"As I said, this is a trade. In order to make a successful trade, you need to get what I requested for. Therefore, trade denied. Kill them." The man then walked away as he took the bag of goods.

Unable to meet the buyer's demands, Hisoka's parents were met with their fate dealt by Illumi Zoldyck.

During this time, Tsubaki was making her way towards the forest to see Hisoka but she heard a pair of screams. She immediately made her way to the source of the scream and saw the bloodied bodies of Hisoka's parents. Standing above them was Illumi with bloodied hands.

"Illumi-Chan? Why…?" Tsubaki questioned as she looked at the scene in awe.

"Assassins never deny a good paying job. You should have already learned that. But I guess an assassin that can't even stand the sight of blood is no assassin." Illumi says his piece and then disappears from sight.

"Hahaha," Hisoka, taking off the bag on his head, chuckles to himself as his eyes filled with insanity.

"Tsukime, close your eyes and ears." Tsubaki did as she was told but the sound of screams still penetrated her eardrums.

Hisoka lunged toward the men that were walking away from them and killed them almost immediately. After completing his deed, Hisoka ran over to Tsubaki and hugged her tightly. "You idiot, you could've gotten hurt. Why did you come here, for someone like me?" Tsubaki opened her eyes and noticed that Hisoka's eyes were filled with tears. Those eyes that shined so brightly and were always so pure were filled with despair and sadness.

"Because we're friends." Tsubaki assured him as she hugged him tightly.

. . .

As a pair of amber eyes awoke in the darkness, Hisoka gazed at the bright shining moon and gave a small smirk, "I suppose our past was only full of lies, wasn't it, Tsukime?"


	10. Hunter Exam: Phase 4 (Part Two)

**[[ Enjoy lovelies!**

 **Also, SoulXHunter: The flashback occurs at different moments in time.**

 **So, she had already started training when she went to Hisoka's house.**

 **And, romance will come soon, be patient~**

 **PS. I am not that great at writing out the fight scenes I see in my head so bear with me please.**

 **Thank you for the reviews dear! Greatly appreciated. ]]**

* * *

Zevil Island: Day Two.

Bring! Bring! Bring! A familiar ringtone broke the heavy silence of the forest.

"Hisoka," a robotic-like voice called out from his walkie-talkie, "Have you taken your target's tag yet?"

"No, not yet."

"You don't even know who your target is, do you?" On the other end of the walkie-talkie is Gittarackur.

"No."

"Do you want me to tell you?"

"No, it doesn't matter. I'll just find three others to hunt."

"I see. Do you think Tsubaki has your tag?"

"No. If she did, she wouldn't have carelessly approached me yesterday."

"Oh? The Princess caught up to you? What happened?"

"Nothing really."

"Liar."

Hisoka gave a smirk, "Just reminiscing about the past, is all."

"The past, huh? Oh, have you told her yet? That she's been followed?

"No, only to watch herself. She'll find out on her own."

"And if she doesn't?"

"You tell me, you were her partner back then."

"She'll probably fall back into the darkness, she was taught to submerge into the darkness if her life was threatened. We saw a glimpse of it when she almost decapitated that man who called her weak in the tower. Remember?"

Hisoka thought back to that moment and remembered the cold darkness that took over Tsubaki's eyes. He gave a smirk and replied, "It seems she didn't only betray me but herself."

* * *

The sun was beginning to set on the second day and Tsubaki decided it was time to look for her target. She had to find the person in possession of badge #78. As Tsubaki was roaming around the island, kunai knives were swiftly targeting her but she was able to deflect the weapons as she quickly unsheathed her katana.

The air was still for a mere five seconds before an assemblage of kunai knives made way toward their target in multiple directions. Gripping onto her katana in her right hand, Tsubaki conjured her fan in her free hand and managed to deflect the kunai knives promptly.

Dematerializing her fan, she scanned the trees and a sudden shadow lunged at her. The clashing of their katana's echoed throughout the trees. The pressure between the two was heavy; causing them both to jump back due to the recoil.

"Who are you?" Tsubaki questioned as she narrowed her eyes at the masked man before her.

"How can you forget me?" The man said in a mocking voice as he proceeded to take his mask off. The man possessed piercing ruby red eyes and jet-black hair that flew in the direction of the wind. However, one of his eyes had a scar running through it; it seems to have developed many years ago.

"That scar…Ryuga? Is that you?" Tsubaki lowered her guard for a moment and Ryuga, taking the advantage, lunged toward Tsubaki.

Tsubaki barely managed to dodge the attack as she managed to jump over Ryuga by using his shoulder as support.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Hime?" Ryuga turned back to face Tsubaki and his eyes were filled with anger and resentment.

"Has Maya ordered you to come here to capture me?"

"Capture? Haha! How long has it been since you looked at your wanted flier?" Ryuga pulled a crumpled piece of paper from inside his jacket pocket and threw it towards Tsubaki.

The paper was a recently made wanted poster that depicts a photo of Tsubaki and the words: "Treasonous Traitor. Reward: 1OO Billion Jenny. Wanted: Dead or Alive."

"Dead _or_ alive, huh? Then, I guess Maya found the loophole." Tsubaki said as she tossed the paper aside.

"Turn yourself in, Hime. Make this easier for everyone."

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged." The two of them tightly gripped their katana's and their swords clashed once again.

Swiftly and gracefully, both wielders dodged each other's attacks.

"Why do you think your aunt sent me after you after all this time, Hime?" Ryuga asked while their swords continued to clash.

"The only people that were any competition were those in the top five. She probably thought I'd go easy on you and she knew you had a grudge against me."

Ryuga gave a smirk as the swords made contact, "Erupt, Hiryuu. (Fire Dragon; Google Translate)"

A surge of power erupted from Ryuga's katana, pushing Tsubaki away from the power. As the smoke and sand was starting to clear the area, Ryuga's katana was cloaked in a fiery blaze. He swung his katana towards Tsubaki and orbs of fire made their way to their target.

Tsubaki quickly dropped her katana and conjured both her fans as she circled them around her creating a barrier of fire that withstood Ryuga's orbs of fire.

"I didn't think you'd resort to using Nen." Tsubaki commented as she dispelled her fire barrier.

"Nen is what made me drop from 3rd to 6th in our group's ranking. The masters, they only wanted one of each attribute and they decided to deem you more worthy. Ha! How ridiculous. I'll prove to them that they made the wrong choice, after all, our conditions are completely different, aren't they? You being a conjurer and all."

Tsubaki's eyes widened and as she was caught off guard, Ryuga threw another orb of fire at her. As Tsubaki deflected the orb of fire with her fan, there were kunai's hidden in the fire that struck at Tsubaki and cut her on her torso as well as her upper arms.

"Che." Tsubaki took her fans and threw them towards Ryuga. They continued to circle Ryuga and as Tsubaki blew on the string, Ryuga was surrounded in a fiery vortex. Picking up her katana, she quickly lunged toward Ryuga but a sudden blast of energy threw Tsubaki into a tree.

"Destroy, Hiryuu." Ryuga pierced his katana into the ground and the ground grew hot. Fire blazed from his katana and even the trees were beginning to burn.

"Remember, Hime, whereas your fire can't kill, mine can!" Ryuga yelled as a ring of fire surrounded Tsubaki. The oxygen was slowly vaporizing and Ryuga made his way to attack, Tsubaki, however, was able to shield herself from the attack with the use of her katana but the pressure was so intense, the ground beneath her started to crumble.

Using her strength, Tsubaki pushed back her opponent and kicked him away from her, knocking him back into the ground.

Tsubaki called for her fans, and spun them in the opposite direction of the ring of fire to try and extinguish it but while her focus was on her fans, Ryuga threw a tag with the word "seal" written on it in Tsubaki's direction.

The tag attached to Tsubaki's kimono and her fans immediately dispelled.

"A sealing tag?" Tsubaki questioned in shock.

"A lot's changed when Maya made you the Machiyo's target." Ryuga explained as he stood on his feet.

Grabbing onto her katana, Tsubaki lunged at Ryuga but he countered with multiple orbs of fire and Tsubaki's katana was unable to withstand such attacks, knocking the katana out of her hand.

Now weaponless, Tsubaki was quickly grabbed and Ryuga slammed her against a tree. Extinguishing his fire and sheathing his katana, he looked into Tsubaki's eyes and smirked at her, "Looks like our masters made a mistake didn't they?"

"You think you can kill me? Try, I dare you." Tsubaki instigated.

Ryuga's anger returned and he started to swiftly punch and kick Tsubaki to the point that she was knocked against another tree.

Blood started to stream down from her lips as she was lying on the ground. She looked into Ryuga's eyes and said with a sneer, "Is that the best you got?"

Ryuga used his flash steps to quickly throw Tsubaki against a tree and began to choke her.

"I think its fate we meet here like this, don't you think, Hime?"

Tsubaki glared at Ryuga and attempted to kick him on his torso but there was no effect.

"You think that a weakling like you can defeat me in hand-to-hand combat?"

"I wasn't trying to," Tsubaki commented as she looked down at her hand and in her grip was Ryuga's katana. Ryuga immediately let Tsubaki go and jumped away from her, readying his kunai knives in his hand.

"Know something Ryuga," Tsubaki began as she regained her footing. Ryuga looked into Tsubaki's eyes and they grew dark. Fear filled Ryuga when he saw Tsubaki lunge toward him. "My fire may not have the ability to kill," Panicking, Ryuga threw his kunai's at Tsubaki and she deflected them rapidly as she got closer to him, "But I do." Tsubaki pierced Ryuga in his chest as blood splattered on Tsubaki's face and hair.

"Gah!" Ryuga yelled in pain, as he looked Tsubaki in her eyes. The cold darkness of her deep purple eyes frightened Ryuga and that was the last thing he saw as he fell to his death.

Tsubaki tossed his katana to the side and stumbled backwards as the light returned to her eyes. She felt lightheaded and collapsed not too far from Ryuga's dead body.

Watching from the shadows was Gittarackur. He walked toward Tsubaki and released a surge on Nen on the sealing tag that shattered immediately. He picked up Tsubaki's katana and threw it beside her as he picked up Ryuga's dead body. As he was about to make his leave, he heard something drop from Ryuga's body and it was an applicant badge that read #78. Gittarackur took a moment to look at the badge and kicked it toward Tsubaki. He then proceeded to dispose of Ryuga's body.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hisoka, who was injured in Trick Tower, has not yet made his move to find his own target. He sat against a tree with a swarm of Hemotropic Butterflies surrounding him.

"Well, come on out." Hisoka begins.

Gon, who was hiding in the bushes following Hisoka, reacts with surprise thinking that Hisoka had discovered him.

"I know you're there. If you won't come out, I'll come to you." Hisoka begins to stand and starts walking toward the bushes in Gon's direction.

As Gon prepares to attack Hisoka, another man stands from within the bushes. He has short black hair and is wearing a yellow forehead band. Gon was surprised; he didn't even sense him there. The man's name was Gozu. He took out his spear and challenged Hisoka to a duel.

Hisoka gave a smile. "You'll die"

Gozu stepped forward and prepared himself to fight. As Gon was hiding in the bushes he prepares for his chance to snatch Hisoka's badge. Gozu lunges his spear at Hisoka and Hisoka leaps back dodging the attack. Gozu continues to lunge at Hisoka but his efforts were futile. Hisoka was able to dodge every single attack.

"Hisoka… explain yourself." He says through heavy breaths. "Why won't you attack me?"

"If I continue to avoid your attacks, you'll die eventually."

Gozu replied with a shocked expression as a swarm of butterflies landed on his body.

"I can tell from the swarm of Hemotropic Butterflies that your wounds are grave. Someone else has already dealt you the fatal blow, yes? Though I do understand your desire to die in battle."

Gozu fell to his knees at those words. He barely had the strength to remain standing. "If you… If you understand so well, why do you still refuse to fight me?"

"I have no interest in the dead." Hisoka says straightforwardly.

"What? I'm not dead yet!"

"You're already dead. It's in your eyes." Hisoka then turns away and walks to the broken tree stump Gozu has cut when attacking Hisoka. "Bye-bye"

Gozu tries to utilize his strength to keep himself on his feet, in his last efforts to deal one last attack to Hisoka; a needle was thrown at his neck, followed by many needles afterwards.

"Sorry about that" A voice called out from behind. "I carelessly let him escape."

"Liar. He probably begged you to grant him one final wish, yes?"

"Well, I felt sorry for the guy." It was Gittarackur; he then walked towards Hisoka's side. "Given that he was already dead."

"You should cease pitying enemies who serve no purpose."

"You've done it before, haven't you? You've walked away from opponents before finishing them off."

"I have a purpose. I'm not interested in people who serve no purpose. I only spare those whose deaths would go to waste. What about his tag?"

"Oh. I already took it. I have six points now so I don't need this one. You can have it." Gittarackur reached into his pocket and gave Hisoka one of the circular badges reading "8O"

"Whose badge is this?"

"it belonged to some guy that tried to snipe me. He ticked me off so I killed him. Well, then…" Gittarackur started to remove the needles from his face altering his appearance; emotionless black eyes and silk long black hair. "Ahh. I feel much better." Gittarackur then dug a hole with his bare hands. "Well, I'll just sleep here until the final day. Good luck! Oh! Also, the moon was attacked."

Gon reacted to those words with shock. _The moon?_ Gon looked up at the sky at the moon and saw it brightly shining in the sky.

"By?" Hisoka asked with no interest in his voice.

"Who else, the Machiyo. It seems I was right, she submerged into the darkness to kill her opponent."

 _The Machiyo?_ Gon questioned, _where have I heard that before? Ah, Tsubaki was talking about them earlier. Then, is the moon Tsubaki?_

"Where is she now?"

"She's lying unconscious somewhere. It seems she had a pretty rough fight. The Queen seems to have changed the condition in which Tsubaki return to the palace as well." Gittarackur explained as he threw the wanted flier towards Hisoka.

Hisoka opened the flier and narrowed his eyes at its content. _Dead or Alive, huh?_

"I just thought you'd want to know but she still has that bracelet you gave her. You think she still believes in its power?"

"If she didn't, would she still have it?"

"I think you know the answer to that question since you were the one that gave her the bracelet in the first place."

"Don't you have a hole to sleep in, Illumi?"

Gittarackur, whose real identity is actually Illumi Zoldyck, responds with a smile and buries himself in the hole he dug up.

Hisoka tosses the flier away and gets up from the tree stump, "Well, I need two more points. I suppose I should go hunt someone." Hisoka makes his way deeper into the forest and reaches the top of a cliff and Gon follows closely behind.

As Hisoka scans the area, he sets sights on Kurapika and Leorio. "Mitsuketa~" He said in a sing-songy voice with a smile.


	11. Hunter Exam: Phase 4 (Part Three)

**[[ This chapter is fairly short but the next will be quite lengthy.**

 **Enjoy! Also, any feedback will be greatly appreciated!**

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this. (: ]]**

* * *

Zevil Island: Day Three.

A few hours have passed since Tsubaki has cut down her opponent and she has finally regained consciousness and as she looked in front of her, she saw her katana and her target's badge in front of her.

"Someone was here?" Tsubaki immediately looked inside her obi and her badge was still there, "Ryuga's body is gone as well." Getting back on her feet, Tsubaki sheathed her katana and placed her target's tag in her obi.

Then, without any warning, an intense aura of bloodlust was released not too far from where Tsubaki was.

The source of the bloodlust was Hisoka. After his confrontation with Leorio and Kurapika he saw how much stronger they both have gotten and that made him feel "tingly." Having not killed anyone for the past couple of days have fed his blood lust and the next person he encounters, he will most likely kill without a thought.

"This feeling. Could this be Hisoka? It's the same as the night of when his parents were murdered. I have to go find him." Tsubaki quickly made her way to the direction of the bloodlust.

In the middle of the forest was Hisoka; his aura has lessened but the look in his eyes show how he is craving to kill. He walks with a slow pace and a hunched back, waiting to walk into his next target. Up ahead, Gon is hiding in the bushes waiting to ambush Hisoka when he attacks his prey. Hisoka has completely hidden his presence and Gon begins to hyperventilate thinking he'll be found out.

"Just breathe," a voice whispered behind him.

The voice surprised him, he looked beside him and there was Tsubaki.

 _Why is Tsubaki here? She looks terrible! Is what Hisoka and that other guy said true?_

"I'm fine. I can manage something like this, don't worry about me." She gave Gon a smile snapping him back to the situation at hand. "You're planning to take Hisoka's badge right? I'll help you."

"eh?"

"I felt his blood lust earlier, if Hisoka bumps into someone he will immediately kill them. You guys may see Hisoka as a killing machine but he wasn't always like this. To calm his bloodlust and to kill innocent people is not worth it. I'll help distract him, that's what you need right? A distraction." Tsubaki said with a smile.

"Yes but-"

"Shh!" Tsubaki interrupted. "He's coming! Conceal your presence! Also, If Hisoka approaches you… Run."

Gon nodded at her and did as he was told. He then looked at Tsubaki with worried eyes. _Don't do anything reckless, Tsubaki!_

As Hisoka continues along his path he spots another applicant, Agon, and immediately charges at him. Agon immediately notices Hisoka and draws out his sword. Hisoka lunges at him with insanity filled eyes and a psychotic laugh.

"Now, Gon!" Tsubaki commanded.

Gon cast his fishing rod and was able to latch onto Hisoka's badge. Hisoka lost focus on his target for a second as the ambush caught him off guard. However, as Hisoka's card made the sound of cutting flesh, Hisoka, Gon, and Agon's eyes widened as they realized that another body intercepted the battle.

Tsubaki jumped in to use her body as a shield and suffered a serious blow to her chest with Hisoka's attack. Blood splattered out from her wound and trailed down her arm. Her kimono was also covered in blood.

"Tsubaki!" Gon yelled out under his breath in panic.

Hisoka's killing aura immediately returned and he once again charged at Agon.

"Stop!" Tsubaki managed to yell under her weakened breath. She then slowly moved her head toward Gon and saw how he wanted to help her; she shook her head no.

Before Hisoka dealt the finishing blow to Agon, he stopped his card at Agon's neck, piercing it to the point that blood started to drip. He looked over his shoulder at the injured princess; her face had splotches of blood everywhere but her eyes shone brightly. Her gaze caught Hisoka's eyes and he returned to normal.

H-Here" Agon stuttered while lifting up his badge and presenting it to Hisoka. "T-Take it." Hisoka looked at the badge and then back at Agon, he gave a smirk and Agon's body was filled with fear. Hisoka removed the card from Agon's neck and took the badge. He turned to Tsubaki and began to walk towards her. Agon ran away stumbling on the ground in the process.

"TSUBAKI!" Gon called out. The two of them caught eyes and Tsubaki mouthed the word 'run' to him.

Hisoka turned his attention to Gon and fear struck Gon, Hisoka took a step forward and Gon immediately ran away.

Hisoka then proceeded to walk towards Tsubaki.

"haa.. haa…" Tsubaki lay on the floor while breathing heavily.

Hisoka knelt down beside her. "Why did you risk your life for a weakling like him?"

"Ta-taking ano-another's life isn't worth it…"

Hisoka gave a chuckle. "Aren't you supposed to be an assassin? Your job is to take people's lives no matter the reason."

"You…haa… You're not like that…haa… You're not a killing machine… S-Soka… What happened to y-your warm smi…haa…le..?"

Hisoka stayed silent and carried her in his arms princess style.

"Hnn…" Tsubaki was in immense pain. Hisoka dashed for the nearest river, he lied her down in the grass and opened her kimono, revealing her chest.

"W-what… haa…are you doing?"

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in your body." Hisoka reassured her.

Tsubaki rolled her eyes and gave a scoff, as that was not what she was implying.

The cut was from her shoulder blade to the middle of her chest. Luckily it wasn't as deep as to cause any life threatening means. Hisoka also saw many other scars on her body; he gave them a questioning look. _These scars, they weren't from Machiyo training or Aiko, so what…?_ Tsubaki slowly moved her hand to grab onto Hisoka's wrist as if she knew the scars have caused him to hesitate.

Hisoka looked away and started to cup the water in his hands and pour it over her wound to wash away the blood. Hisoka then took off his shirt and started to rip it into pieces. He took a piece of cloth and put it into the water to wipe away the blood on her face. He used the other pieces of cloth like a bandage and wrapped up her wound.

"W-why? "Why are you…haa… s-saving me now? W-Wouldn't it be better for all of us…haa…i-if I just died?"

"You have yet to fully develop, it is not your time yet. Your death would be a waste." Hisoka explained as he wrapped Tsubaki's kimono back up.

"T-Then why didn't you save me…" Tsubaki's voice was drowning out, "Years… ago…" Tsubaki stopped talking and her body lied still; her eyes were closed and she didn't move a muscle.

Hisoka listened for a heartbeat and it was there but very faint. He gave a sigh and carried her on his back, "You are quite a reckless Princess, Tsukime." He said while looking at her. _What exactly happened to you when you ran away from the Royal Family, Tsukime? Who else do I need to kill to protect you?_ Hisoka took Tsubaki and looked for another spot to hideout at.

* * *

"Tsukime!" The red headed boy called out in excitement.

"Eh?" The white haired Princess turned around and saw her friend running toward her with a purple cloth in his hand, "Soka!" she replied with a smile.

"Ne, ne! Tsukime, look at this! My new parents bought me this magic cloth that I saw on the TV!" the boy said enthusiastically as he showed off his new toy.

"Magic cloth?" Tsubaki questioned tilting her head and asking in a confused voice.

"Yeah! It's for magic tricks! I've been learning some magic tricks lately and my parents finally bought me this cloth! Ne, do you want to see a trick?" He said with a big smile.

"Sure!" She replied with a smile.

"Alright!" The two children sat face to face in the middle of the field. "Tsukime, extend your right arm."

She did as she was told and held out her right arm. "Like this?"

"Yup! Just like that!" Hisoka then took the cloth and draped it over her wrist covering a bit of her hand as well. "Ready? 1…2…3!" Hisoka then removes the cloth and a gold bracelet appeared on Tsubaki's wrist. There was a charm on the bracelet and it was of the joker playing card. Tsubaki was stunned and she looked at Hisoka who had a big smile on his face. "Happy Birthday Tsukime!"

"Ah, you remembered. But, where did you get this? It looks pretty expensive."

"My new parents are actually much nicer than the ones I had before, thanks to you. They started giving me an allowance and I've started to save. The bracelet isn't as expensive as it looks but the storeowner said that it was one of his bestsellers. Do you like it?"

Tsubaki gave a smile, "Of course! It's beautiful. Thank you, Hisoka. And the magic trick was amazing! Just like a real magician!" She gave a giggle.

"Really? Waa, that's great! I wanna be a magician when I grow up, that way, I can always put a smile on Tsukime's face!"

Tsubaki started to blush and made her way to a bush and plucked a few berries. She squeezed the juice in her hands and drew a red star on his right cheek and a green teardrop on his left. "There, now you look like a real magician!" She lifted up a mirror she carried with her and showed Hisoka what he looked like.

"Haha! I look just like the joker on your bracelet! Oh! I need to tell you a secret about the bracelet. It has superpowers."

"Superpowers?"

"Mm… It lets me know if you're in trouble, whether it be at home or not. If you're in danger, it will let me know. I will immediately come by your side to protect you but, It won't work until you get stronger, that was the condition in order to make it work. Sorry Tsukime."

"It's okay!" She said with a warm smile. "I'll definitely get stronger!"

* * *

Hisoka sits by a tree while Tsubaki's head rests on his lap, darkness has fallen and only the moon provides light. Hisoka looks at the moon with wavering eyes and he looks down at Tsubaki. He takes his hand and removes the hair lying on her face. He begins to look at her with softer eyes and focuses his gaze on her bracelet. _Shall I activate its powers now? No, not yet. It's been years since we last saw one another and this is how you pop back into my life? How cruel of you Hime. Let me stop worrying about you for just a little longer and then, I will protect you as promised._

Hisoka gently places a hand on her cheek and looks at her intently. "You, you did this to me, you know?" Hisoka leans closer to her face and admires her pale face and her plump rose lips. A moment of hesitation occurred but he leaned closer and gave Tsubaki a kiss. He quickly breaks away from the kiss as if he regrets it and looks at her with narrow eyes full of remorse and conflict. "I'll find whoever gave you those scars Hime and I'll definitely kill them for you. It's a promise."

* * *

"Where… Where am I?" Awakening from her slumber, Tsubaki looked around the room as everything was blurry.

"Oh. Looks like you're finally awake." A familiar voice commented beside her.

Tsubaki turned her head and saw Chairman Netero sitting beside her IV, giving her a gentle smile.

"The exam?" She asked in a weak voice.

"Don't worry child, you passed the Fourth Phase."

"Eh? Last thing I remember is that I was attacked and almost died. How long have I been unconscious? Where are we?"

"From what applicant #44 told me, he carried you to the end point after the third day and you have been unconscious ever since. We are now in my blimp and are heading toward the Final Phase."

"I see…" Tsubaki then tried to position her body to an upright position but a sharp pain cringed in her chest. "Ahh…" she held her hand over her chest and had a painful expression on her face.

"Whoa, I wouldn't move around so much, your wounds haven't fully healed yet." Netero said while helping Tsubaki lay back down. "Don't worry; your wounds will heal quickly. If your wounds weren't properly taken care for earlier then you most likely wouldn't have survived. It's a good thing the exam ended when it did. Once we got on the ship he immediately requested that you be hospitalized until your wounds heal."

 _Hisoka did?_ A gentle smile appeared on Tsubaki's face; _I suppose in the end, you're always the one saving me, huh?_

"But," Netero began, snapping Tsubaki out of her thoughts; "I would like to have a word with you, Tsubaki-Hime." The atmosphere instantly turned serious.

"I… Understand. What is it?"

"You know about your brother correct?"

"Yes, though I haven't seen him in years, is he alright?"

"Oh, he's fine! However, you may or may not know this but he has created an information exchange group to protect you from the wrath of the Machiyo as well as the Royal Family. I have been informed by one of the members that an auction is going to be held in Yorknew City. I'm not completely aware of the details of the auction but we were able to get a name: Fuuto, and it seems that you are the number one wanted item on the auction list."

Tsubaki's eyes widened and fear took over her entire body. Her breathing becomes heavier and her heart is racing. She holds her hands up to her face and starts trembling. Multiple images pop into her mind as she shuts her eyes and closes her ears. Netero looks at her with pitiful eyes and tries to comfort her but Tsubaki twitches in reaction to his physical touch.

"You…" Tsubaki began. "You can't stop an auction like that…?"

"I'm sorry. We Hunters only play a certain hand in the government, an auction like this is very hard to find. It is, after all, an underground auction. But if there is anything we can do to protect you, we will."

"You won't be able to protect me. I can manage on my own. I know about Fuuto and his auctions. I'll be okay, so please, don't worry about me anymore Chairman." Tsubaki faces Netero and looks within his eyes. She puts a smile on her face but her eyes do not match the bravery behind her smile, her eyes waver and are filled with fear.


	12. Hunter Exam: End

**[[ I'm baaaaack~!**

 **Here's another chapter lovelies, I hope you enjoy.**

 **It is quite long so brace yourself, lol.**

 **Also, I hope you guys enjoy the holidays~**

 **PS. VenusSeven: Thanks for such kind words (: ]]**

* * *

Eleven applicants have passed the Fourth Phase and are now resting on the Chairman's blimp as they are being transported to the Final Exam Site.

The Chairman then summoned each applicant to his office for an interview, in hopes that it will prove beneficial for the Final Exam.

"Next is applicant #406, Tsubaki-Sama." Tsubaki was the fifth person called for the interview.

Making her way to the room, Netero was sitting on the floor with a notepad and ink pen in his hand.

"I'm just going to ask some simple questions, okay?"

Tsubaki sat down on her designated pillow in front of the Chairman and nodded.

"So, other than your protection here, why do you wish to become a Hunter?"

"To get strong enough to fight against all those who need to be punished. I will get justice for my parents' death and uncover the truth of the Royal Family."

"I see." Netero commented as he wrote his notes on the pad of paper, "Who would you say you are currently watching out for?"

"Hmm… All the applicants seem promising but #44 and #294 are on my radar."

"Okay. And who would you not want to fight?"

Without hesitation, Tsubaki answered, "#44, Hisoka."

"Is it because he saved your life?"

"No, I know how strong he is. Who do you think was behind the attack that almost killed me? I am not strong enough to go against him yet. I would like to improve more before fighting him."

"Very good, that's all." Netero waved his hand for Tsubaki to leave the room and motioned for his secretary to call for the next applicant.

The applicants have finally arrived to the Final Phase site and the 11 applicants that remain are gathered at a hotel owned by the Selection Committee and there they are taken to an arena like room.

"Well then, congratulations everyone for making it this far! We will be staying at this hotel until the exams are over so feel free to do as you wish while we stay here. Now, I will explain the rules of the final phase to you." A man then pushes a board out to present to the applicants. "For the Final Phase, we will be holding a one-on-one tournament." Netero showed them the match-ups and explained that all they need to pass is one win.

With the one win, they are taken out of the matchup and have passed the Final Phase. Only one person will fail and the other ten will become Hunters. Also, if they are to kill any of the applicants, that person will immediately be disqualified.

Gon and #294 were the first two to fight. #294, Hanzo is a skilled shinobi and Gon was no match for him in the physical confrontation. Hanzo did everything in his power to torture Gon into surrendering. Seeing that Gon was a very stubborn boy who had no feelings of fear or hate, Hanzo was forced to surrender. Gon was unhappy about this turn of events in his victory and Hanzo had no choice but to knock him unconscious.

Tsubaki was scheduled to fight against #72. #72 is named Saitama and he is an excellent fighter in perfect condition. His skills in martial arts were considered top-notch and he sauntered into the fighting area with a gush of confidence. When he set his eyes on Tsubaki he let out a small chuckle at the thought of fighting a woman. He knew this was going to be an easy victory.

Tsubaki knew that her opponent was going to be a challenge but she decided to fight fairly, for now. Tsubaki removed her scabbard from her obi and placed it against the wall as she advanced into the designated area with grace and poise.

"She's not going to use her katana? Isn't that what she fights with?" Leorio questioned as he focused his gaze on Tsubaki.

"Being a royal, she must have had hand-to-hand combat training. Since her opponent is a martial arts fighter, she probably saw no point in fighting with a katana." Kurapika explained.

"You can't bring a sword to a fist fight." Killua stated as he watched the opponents step toward the arena.

The referee announced the start of the battle and both Tsubaki and Saitama exhibited a fighting stance. Both fighters observed their opponents and though neither fighter wanted to make the first move, all of a sudden, Tsubaki disappeared from sight and launched an attack on Saitama from behind. However, Saitama was able to quickly block the attack and the onlookers were barely able to keep up with such fast movements.

A smirk appeared on Saitama's face, as he still believes he will become the ultimate winner in the end. He started to rapidly punch Tsubaki but she was able to dodge every single blow. Tsubaki returned the punches but Saitama was also able to dodge her lightening fast attacks. The two of them continued to attack and dodge, keeping up with each other for at least two hours of battle.

Seeing no end in sight, Tsubaki reached into the back of her obi and conjured her two fans. Since most of the applicants are unaware of the concept of Nen, Tsubaki could only fight were her fans in their normal state. Tsubaki threw her fans at Saitama and he was able to jump through the open spaces between the attacks but as his focus was elsewhere, he lost sight of Tsubaki and suffered a kick to his torso. Taking advantage of the moment, Tsubaki quickly grabbed a hold of her fans and whipped them toward her target once again.

Saitama tried to dodge with a backflip but he ended up getting cut by the fan on his lower leg. He, too, then disappeared from sight and landed a powerful punch on Tsubaki's chest.

Tsubaki was pushed back and winced in pain, as her wound was not yet fully healed.

"It seems your wound has yet to heal," Saitama commented as blood was starting to absorb into Tsubaki's kimono, "Surrender and you can go treat your petty wound." Saitama mocked.

Tsubaki stood in her position and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, controlled the flow of energy in her body, and slowly opened her eyes. The light in her eyes has disappeared and the darkness reemerged.

The onlookers reacted in surprise as they saw a different side to Tsubaki. Hisoka gave a smirk and licked his lips at the pleasurable sight. Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua, especially, were caught off guard at the sight before him.

"So that's it, the darkness." Killua whispered as he looked at Tsubaki.

"The darkness?" Leorio and Kurapika questioned as they overheard Killua.

"Some assassins are born to kill, others are made. Tsubaki was made into an assassin and she was in the Special Ops. In order to survive she had to succumb to the darkness and I'm sure, she already has a countless amount of blood on her hands."

Leorio and Kurapika focused their eyes back on Tsubaki with worry.

Faster then before, Tsubaki made her way to her target and as she circled around him, afterimages of herself were created and Saitama had trouble finding the real Tsubaki. At that moment, Tsubaki threw her fans in the midst and Saitama suffered cuts from every angle.

Saitama took a risk and lunged toward one of the Tsubaki's and unfortunately for him, he attacked an image. Before he had any time to react, he felt the cold blade of a katana against his throat and the pressure of the fans behind his back.

"A katana?" Leorio questioned as he looked over to where Tsubaki laid her katana down; it was gone.

"In the middle of the battle when Tsubaki surrounded her opponent, she went out of her way to grab her katana." Kurapika explained.

"Surrender, or else." Tsubaki's voice was callous.

"Or else what?" Saitama spoke through clenched teeth and a frightening glare.

"I can't kill you but I can make sure you never walk or talk again." Tsubaki threatened as she pushed the fans further against his spine.

Sweat drops forming and seeing no way out, Saitama surrendered.

Tsubaki released him from her grasp and walked back to where the onlookers were. She lay against the wall but her cold atmosphere still remained and the darkness in her eyes has yet to vanish.

Leorio walked over to Tsubaki to see if she was all right but Killua stopped him before he could get too close, "I would stay away if I were you. The darkness is still in her, she'll kill anyone that comes near her."

Leorio heeded the warning and returned to his position.

Tsubaki closed her eyes as she tried to release the darkness but as she reopened her eyes, the light wouldn't return.

Hisoka observed her from the side and noticed that the darkness was staying longer than usual. _It's her third time in over a week; she'll surely succumb to the darkness if she keeps letting it take over._

* * *

The Final Phase is over and everyone but Killua and Bodoro passed the exam. During Killua's confrontation with Gittarackur, who revealed his identity as his older brother Illumi, Killua was entranced into killing and he ended up killing Bodoro causing him to get disqualified from the exam.

Outside of the hotel, Illumi and Hisoka were talking about Gon. Gon was angry at Illumi's influence over Killua and ended up breaking Illumi's arm. Illumi realized that Gon has incredible potential and saw him as a threat that he needed to kill but Hisoka threatened Illumi saying that Gon was his prey.

"Fine, but what are you going to do now?" Illumi asked, as he was about to walk away.

"Wait patiently," Hisoka said with a look of pleasure on his face, "for the fruit to ripen."

"I figured." Illumi stated. A familiar presence then joined the two friends, "Ah, it's been a while, huh, Princess?"

Tsubaki appeared from behind the pillar and the light seemed to have returned to her eyes.

"Who would've thought you would've suffered such injuries during the exam, huh?"

"Be quiet." Tsubaki snapped back with an annoyed look.

"I noticed that your darkness is taking control of you longer, you must have stopped using it, have you?"

"I was never like you Illumi, I wasn't born to kill."

"No, you were born to rule and yet, you can't even do that."

Tsubaki was offended; she gave a death glare to Illumi and tightened her fists. Hisoka listened to their conversation with his eyes closed to not show any involvement.

"Sorry, didn't mean to push your buttons. How about some information in exchange for you wiping that glare off your face?"

"About what?"

"Your fiancé, The Fujiwara Prince, or rather, he's a King now right?"

"Riku? What information could you possible have on him?"

"I heard he's going to be in Yorknew City for an auction." This news surprised Tsubaki.

"An auction?" Picking up the slight tremble in her voice, Hisoka opened his eyes and glanced at Tsubaki; observing her. "Why is he going there?"

"Now, now, now. I only offer one piece of information and that's it. Even if you were my training partner."

"Damn you Illumi."

"Haha, well I'll be going now. Bye Princess. Bye Hisoka. Good luck." With that, Illumi waved goodbye and walked away.

Hisoka, leaning on a pillar, also got up and was about to leave.

"Wait." Tsubaki commanded. Hisoka stopped as told to and looked back towards Tsubaki who walked toward him. "What are you planning to do now?"

Hisoka gave a small smirk, "Why? Care to join me?"

"N-Not really…" Tsubaki was starting to get tense and flustered and suddenly Hisoka got closer to her face as her rested his arm above her head on the pillar behind her. Her heart was racing as she looked into his golden amber eyes. He returned the gentle gaze and she immediately looked away, blushing. He gave an amused smile in reply and picked up a strand of her hair. "Hiso-" Before she could finish, Hisoka kissed her hair.

"Even with all the blood you spilt, your hair still remains a pure white." Hisoka stated as he admired the strand of hair in his hands. "Would you like another piece of advice," He asked, as he looked into Tsubaki's eyes once again, "My dear?"

Tsubaki's heart skipped a beat.

Hisoka leaned in closer to whisper in her ear, "Don't let the darkness take over the light of the moon." As he whispered what he thought would be his final words, Hisoka let go of the strand of hair in his hands and walked away.

Tsubaki rushed after him and grabbed his wrist, "C-Can I go with you?" She looked at him with desperation in her eyes.

Hisoka's eyes softened for a second and he rested his forehead on her head, "Where I'm going is no place for a Princess and I really planned on not seeing you again." Hisoka took his hand and covered Tsubaki's eyes. He moved his face closer to hers and was about to kiss her but then he pulled away. He scanned Tsubaki's injuries and looked at her face with a hint of sadness in his eyes. _I can't keep my promise if I'm the reason why you're getting hurt the entire time, stupid girl. The people that gave you those scars, I will find them._

"What do you mean by that?"

"You left me when we were little, now it's my turn."

Tsubaki bit her lip in reaction to his words as tears were beginning to form in her eyes, "P-Please don't go."

"Looks like history was meant to repeat itself. Sorry, Hime." Hisoka whispered as he disappeared with the gust of the wind.

The lone princess dropped to the floor and tears were starting to stream down her face. Watching from far behind was Kurapika.

"Kura…pika?" Tsubaki asked while quickly wiping away her tears. Kurapika was also trying to walk away but he didn't hide his presence well enough.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything."

"It's okay," Tsubaki said while giving a small smile and getting back up on her feet.

"You and Hisoka… What actually happened between you two?" Only silence was given from Tsubaki. "Is it worth it? All the pain he's causing you?"

Tsubaki looked at Kurapika and had eyes of sadness fixed upon him. "It's not like that. It's …complicated."

"I have time." Kurapika said while looking at her with a smile. "Gon, Leorio, and I were going to get Killua back from Kukuroo Mountain but Gon and Satotz are talking about something. We all know each other's secret. Why not spill yours?"

"Maybe it is time I finally share this with someone. Would you listen to my story?"

"Of course."

* * *

"Tsubaki-Chan," Maria called out, "Your mother is calling for you in her chambers."

Tsubaki looked at Maria with a confused look and stood from her bed. She followed Maria to the Queen's chambers and entered inside.

 _Am I getting punished for something?_ Tsubaki thought to herself as she walked toward her mother.

"Her Royal Highness, Tsubaki, is entering, Your Royal Majesty," Maria said while bowing down to the Queen.

"Thank you. Now leave." Aiko stated as she waved Maria away. Maria gave a bow and gave a quick glance to Tsubaki as she did as she was told. "Sit." Aiko declared as she sat up and gestured her hand to the chair next to her bed. "I have some very important news to tell you."

"What is it, Your Royal Majesty?" Tsubaki replied sitting as poised as she can.

"Your wedding with Riku is going to be moved up. I understand we were going to wait a few more years when you two have matured but there have been rising issues in both sectors of Taira and we need to reunite the two halves as soon as possible. The two of you are to be wed in a few months time, are we clear?"

"Yes, Your Royal Majesty. I understand."

"Good. Now go give these documents to your father. We have much paper work to do." Aiko stated while handing Tsubaki a huge stack of papers.

"Yes, Your Royal Majesty" Tsubaki then took her leave and bowed to the Queen.

As Tsubaki made her leave, Aiko called for Maya to enter her chambers.

"You've called for me, Nee-Sama?"

"What have the assassins reported? Who has she been visiting in the village? Is it the boy, and where are his whereabouts?"

"Shihou is in charge of monitoring Tsubaki and he has not reported anything out of the ordinary. He says the boy does not possess the qualities of the Aomori Prince and the boy has been relocated to the Glades, the sector of town that is poorly run down and full of people with limited stability."

"I see. I still want you to keep Shihou on her tail, just for a precaution."

"Understood."

. . .

Tsubaki made her way to another hallway and the guard positioned there knocked on the striking door at the end of the path.

"Whose there?" a voice from behind the door yelled out.

"Her Royal Highness, Tsubaki, is here to see you, Your Majesty The King," A guard said while bowing to the King.

"Let her in." the King said.

"Understood." The guard went outside and instructed Tsubaki into the room. "Her Royal Highness, Tsubaki, is entering the room."

"Thank you. Please return to your post."

"Understood, Sir." The guard gave a bow and walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

Tsubaki walked to the desk the King was sitting at and dropped off the documents she was told to drop off. She stood beside the king's desk with sad eyes.

"Tsuki-Chan, what's wrong?" The King asked while placing down his pen.

"Mama told me that I'm getting married sooner than planned."

The King looked at Tsubaki with soft eyes look. "Tsuki-Chan. Come here," the King said while patting his lap for her to sit there. She walked over to him and climbed onto his lap. "I know it's scary but you are a Sakurai Princess, you know what it means to be a Princess, right?"

"Yes… I have to do everything in my power to make sure the people of Taira are happy and safe."

"That's right." The King smiled at his daughter and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry. Papa's here if you wanna talk."

"I don't want to get married. But I know that I have to. It's my duty as the Princess of Taira to help ease the tension but… Papa… What if I fell in love with someone else already?" The King was surprised to hear that coming from his 7-year-old daughter but he was also very happy, he had a warm smile on his face.

"I heard. Shiroki told me that you've made a friend in town. That boy is a very special person to my Tsuki-Chan, isn't he? But you know, if he really cares for you, I'm sure he would understand if you had to get married to someone else. You told him right, that you're a Princess?"

"Yes but Papa, I don't want to lose him! He's someone I care about very much."

The King gave his daughter a hug, "Oh my. My Tsuki-Chan has already grown up to be a very kind woman. I understand my dear, but duties are duties. I won't forbid you from seeing him anymore, you both seems to have a special bond. Cherish that deep bond you have, my daughter. You need bonds like that to survive in this palace. Now I believe it's almost time for you to go, you have a date to attend, don't you?"

"Date?" Tsubaki asked in a confused voice.

"Your mother hasn't told you? You're going to be spending more time with Prince Riku from now on, today will be your first official date under the name of the union."

"eh?"

. . .

The clacking of horse hooves was heard against the gravel. The horses attached to a circular carriage have stopped in front of a big beautiful palace.

"Her Royal Highness, Tsubaki, has arrived," Maria announced while opening the door to the carriage. Tsubaki stepped out of the carriage wearing a beautiful white kimono with pale blue accents. Her hair was put up elegantly and she had pale blue hairpins as well as crystals sticking out from her hair; an elegant and majestic aura surrounding her.

As Tsubaki stepped into the palace, she was escorted to the garden of the Southern Place. The garden was enormous, flowers of many colors and different types grew everywhere. A table was set in the middle of the flowers and a familiar young boy was sitting there with a long red and gold accented kimono on.

"His Royal Highness, Riku, please bow before him." A voice called out

The maids and servants bowed in the presence of the Prince, Tsubaki bowed as well.

"Thank you. You may leave now." The Prince called out to the maids and servants. They did as they were told and left the bowing Princess with the little Prince. "You may lift your head. You do not need to be so formal. We met a few times before; you even stayed at the palace for a short period of time. It's a pleasure to see you again, Tsubaki-hime." The boy said with a warm smile; his emerald eyes sparkling.

"You too, Riku." Tsubaki said with a smile.

. . .

A few months later.

"Tsubaki-Chan, your mother wishes to see you." Maria called out.

Tsubaki followed Maria to the Queen's chambers and Maria took her leave.

"Sit." Tsubaki did as she was told and sat at the chair next to her mother's bed. "I heard things have been going really well lately between you and Prince Riku. If this keeps up, the union will proceed smoothly. Ah, pour me some tea."

Tsubaki took the tea set from her mother's desk and poured a cup of tea for her, when she handed the cup to Aiko, Aiko noticed Tsubaki's bracelet. She quickly grabbed Tsubaki's arm and pushed down her sleeve. The suddenness of it all caused Tsubaki to drop the cup on the floor.

"Who gave this to you?" The Queen asked in a stern voice as her eyes were deeply locked with Tsubaki's.

Tsubaki hesitated for a moment; she couldn't tell her mother that the person that gave her that bracelet was Hisoka! So in order to protect Hisoka she said that Riku was the one that gave it to her. The Queen did not believe a word of this but pretended to go along with it.

"Well, be appreciative of this. This means he is serious about this relationship. Do not forget about your duties as a princess! You are dismissed." And with that Tsubaki got up and gave a bow to Aiko.

When Tsubaki left, Aiko called for Maya.

"What is it Onee-Chan?"

"Shihou's report? Tsubaki is hiding something from us, she may have made contact with the boy!"

"I have kept Shihou on Tsubaki's tail as requested but the report is still the same. The boy does not fit the description of the Aomori Prince. We are safe, Onee-Chan, do not fret."

"Alright. Leave my chambers, I need to rest." Maya bowed to her elder sister and left the room. When Maya left, Aiko took it upon herself to call forth one of the Machiyo assassins.

"Do you remember who you report to?"

"We report to you, Aiko-Sama."

"Good, follow Tsubaki and report to me her every movement. It seems that Maya has no idea what she's doing."

"Understood."

That day, Tsubaki had an unplanned, last minute date with Riku but since she hasn't been seeing Hisoka lately, she skipped out on her date and ran to the forest instead. Waiting for her there was Hisoka playing with a deck of cards.

Since Tsubaki is still a trainee in the Special Ops, she was unaware that a Machiyo assassin was following her and he reported what he saw to the Queen via an earpiece.

"Kill the boy." She said without hesitation.

"Yes, Your Royal Majesty." The assassin threw needles at Hisoka but Hisoka managed to dodge and guarded Tsubaki.

"Who's there?!" Hisoka yelled out.

The man walked out from the bushes and took out a blade.

"Ah, that's one of our assassins!" Tsubaki commented, "We have to run, we're no match for them!"

Hisoka stood his ground and told Tsubaki to close her eyes and ears. She did as commanded but when curiosity took over her mind, she took a peak and saw Hisoka (having already learned Nen) throw cards at the assassin, killing him. Tsubaki was shocked and a rush of thoughts was running through her mind but she was only able to let out, "Run, Hisoka!"

"Eh? Why?"

"You have to run and hide! You just killed a Machiyo assassin. You're now the target of the Machiyo. Go!" Hisoka did as Tsubaki instructed and ran deep into the forest. A few moments after Hisoka left, a group of two Machiyo assassins appeared before Tsubaki. They took her and went to the Queen's chambers. They threw her onto the floor and she immediately positioned herself in a kneeling position to bow to Aiko. Aiko told her to stand up and turn around; she did as she was told. Aiko had a whip in her hand and whipped Tsubaki's back.

"Nnn…" Tsubaki cringed in pain. When Tsubaki was getting punished she was told by the Queen to never make a sound of pain, it only shows weakness. The Queen whipped her over and over until her back started to bleed, as usual but her anger today was something Tsubaki has never experienced.

"You're going to kill him. That boy. That Commoner! If you don't kill him, I will kill him myself." The Queen took a knife from her drawer and threw it in front of Tsubaki. "Use this blade to finish this job and bring the blade back to me with the blood of that damn commoner! Think of this as your first test as Special Ops. If you let him escape, I will make damn sure that your life will be a living hell! You are a PRINCESS! You are to marry Prince Riku! That commoner is trash! Kill him!"

. . .

Tsubaki went back to the forest and her eyes had no emotion to it; it grew dark. Hisoka, who was hiding in the shadows, saw Tsubaki and jumped down to address her.

"Tsukime!" He called out with worry. He noticed Tsubaki's expression and was starting to get concerned. "Tsukime, what's wrong?"

"Leave." She began with a stern voice.

"Eh? Tsukime… What're yo-"

"Leave. I made a mistake, we never should have become friends." Hearing those words, Hisoka's eyes widened and he had a confused look on her face.

"Tsukime…? What's going on?"

Tsubaki then took the blade out from her kimono's sleeve.

"oi, Tsuki-"

Tsubaki threw the knife at Hisoka's shoulder, near his collarbone. The knife attack threw Hisoka back into a tree, or rather, lodged him into a tree. He was shocked, heartbroken, and confused.

"Tsubaki! What's going on with you?!" Tsubaki jumps toward him and takes the knife out. She looks away to hide the darkness and escapes with the bloody blade in hand.

"Tsubaki! TSUBAKI!" Hisoka lies there in pain and tears were beginning to form in his eyes. The helpless boy lied there thinking that he was about to die, that the person who killed him was the person who he fell in love with. He slowly blacks out and faints. Watching from behind the bushes was Riku; he took Hisoka and brought him to the Southern Palace.

"Hnn…" Hisoka woke up and looked around the room. He was in a grand room with expensive furniture everywhere. "Where… am I?"

"You're at the Southern Palace. You were injured and I took you in to treat your wounds. You… What exactly are you to Tsubaki?"

"Tsubaki!" Hisoka jumped up from the bed and his shoulder started to react with pain. "Ahh…"

"Don't make any hasty moves, we just patched you up!"

"Where is Tsubaki?! Where is she?!"

The Prince looked at the Magician with jealous eyes.

"You are just a commoner. She is not supposed to associate herself with the likes of you. Do you know, she's supposed to be getting married soon?"

"What?" Hisoka was surprised; actually words couldn't even describe how he felt. He was in pain, he was angry, he was heartbroken, he was confused, and he was completely lost. "Married? To who?"

"To… Me."

Hisoka looked into the boy's green eyes and had an angry expression on his face. "Only because I'm not royalty?! I have to find Tsubaki!"

"You can't! I followed Tsubaki after she abandoned me today and saw the events that played out. What she said was right: you are the target of the Machiyo. If you walk recklessly, they will find you and kill you!"

"I don't care." Hisoka ran away from the Palace and ran to the forest.

When Hisoka ran to the forest there was no sight of Tsubaki. He saw a blue enveloped pinned to the tree that said "Hisoka" on the front. He opened the envelope and read the letter inside. The letter said, "I'm Sorry. I will explain everything when I can. I'm so sorry, Soka." and inside the envelope was the bracelet that Hisoka gave her. Being hit with such a reality, Hisoka cried, not only tears of sadness but of betrayal and anger.

"AAAAAHH!" He yelled out as he dropped to the ground and cried with the letter crumpled in his hands.

Back at the palace, Tsubaki returned to her mother's chambers with the bloody knife and threw it at her mother's feet. "Mission accomplished, Your Royal Majesty."

. . .

 _2 Months Later_

It was the day of the wedding and everyone in both sectors of Taira gathered for the happy union. Tsubaki and Riku both wore long decorated kimonos made specifically for weddings and the ceremony was called to a start.

"Do you, His Royal Highness Prince Riku, take Her Royal Majesty, Princess Tsubaki to be your lawfully wedded wife? To govern Taira as a united nation where we are no longer separated as North and South? To always perform your duties and to always be there for each other whether it be in sickness or in health, for better or for worse, until death do you part?"

"I do." Riku replied with a smile on his face.

"And do you, Her Royal Majesty, Princess Tsubaki, take His Royal Highness Prince Riku, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To govern Taira as a united nation where we are no longer separated as North and South? To always perform your duties and to always be there for each other whether it be in sickness or in health, for better or for worse, until death do you part?"

Tsubaki hesitated. "I-"

However, before she could finish her sentence, the window to the church shattered and the people were in a panic.

"What is going on?!" The Queen shouted out.

Something flew by Tsubaki and landed in the wall. It was a playing card with her gold bracelet hanging from it. She took the card out of the wall and it read: "It's not right to lie, is it Tsukime?" She looked into the direction of where the card was thrown and saw a shadow jump away. _Hisoka…_

* * *

Kurapika stayed silent for a while.

"I…destroyed him. I destroyed us. All our lies, it turned us into monsters. It's all my fault." Tsubaki looked at her bracelet with sad eyes.

Kurapika looked at Tsubaki with shock. "It is not your fault that Hisoka turned into that. What happened was not your fault. You had to do what you had to do."

"But… I should've told him at least, the truth."

"Tsubaki…"

"In our world of lies, I turned him into a killer. More than once."

"Maybe, it's not you that changed him, but it was you that showed him who he really was."

"If that's the case, then the me I am now, is it who I'm supposed to be?" Tsubaki asked as she looked at her hands and saw the blood of all the lives she has taken.

"We can't control who we are, but we can control what we do with ourselves. Don't give up Tsubaki."

"Thank you, Kurapika." She looked at Kurapika and gave a smile. "Thank you for listening to my story and for such heartfelt words."

Kurapika returned her smile. "Thank you for sharing it with me. But, did you ever end up getting married?"

"No. My wedding was held off due to my father's decision and Taira still remains divided. But, It's all thanks to Hisoka that I'm not the Queen of Taira right now. Because, if I were, I wouldn't have made such great friends, and I wouldn't have seen Hisoka again after such a long time."

"We'll always have your back." Kurapika stated with a smile.

"And same for me, if you guys need anything, don't hesitate to contact me."

"Will do. I must take my leave now. Good luck with everything, Tsubaki. We'll see each other soon?"

"Yes, you as well. Good luck in getting Killua back. Be careful, his family is very strong."

"Of course. Thank you" Kurapika walked away waving buy to the princess.

Tsubaki, now alone, looked up toward the sky. A beautiful blue sky with only a few clouds in the sky, she looked up at the sky with harsh eyes. _I should head to the Southern Palace; it's been a while since I've seen Riku._


	13. 2 Months Later

**[[ Hey guys, it's been a while.**

 **Finals are here so I'm slowly dying while studying.**

 **I managed to get a chapter done but this chapter is kinda boring/slow.**

 **Sorry about that! However, I will get another chapter or 2 done today as well.**

 **Enjoy! And thanks for bearing with me! ]]**

* * *

"Halt! Who goes there?" A man with armor of red and gold questioned as he pointed his spear at the mysterious woman.

The woman was wearing a red cloak with a hood that shadowed over her eyes making her face difficult to see. The woman opened her cloak and showed the guard her right shoulder, revealing a crescent moon shaped birthmark.

"You're-!"

"Please," The woman began, "I need to speak with Prince, or rather, King Riku."

"Princess." The guard said as he bowed before her, "You have finally returned."

"I am no longer a Princess." The woman said as a sudden gust of wind took the hood off the woman's head. Her pure white hair blew in the direction of the wind and her amethyst eyes gleamed in reaction to the light. She looked at the guard and gave a small genuine smile.

"No, you're right. You aren't a Princess but a Queen: the rightful Queen to both sectors of Taira alongside our King, Riku."

Tsubaki flinched at those words, as she did not want to be the ruler of Taira united. However, before she spoke another word, the two of them were interrupted.

"Tsu-Chan? Is that really you, Tsu-Chan?" A voice called out.

Tsubaki turned her attention to the direction of the voice and saw a familiar old man. He was about 5 feet tall and his hair was a light gray, almost white looking. The man stood firm and had a powerful aura surrounding him.

"Tsu-Chan, you've returned! It's been so long!" The man called out as he ran towards Tsubaki to give her a hug.

"Tanaka-San, I'm glad you're doing well." Tsubaki said as she returned the hug to one of her old friends.

. . .

Tanaka took Tsubaki to the palace guest room; the grand white walls were filled with warmth and the ambience was simply beautiful.

"What are you doing here? Have you changed your mind about the marriage?" Tanaka asked as he poured Tsubaki a cup of tea.

"No, I'm sorry. I still can't get myself to do that just yet. But there's something I need to discuss with Riku, is he here?"

"Ahh… Master Riku is in his study right now. A lot has happened in the past couple of months and the paperwork has piled up."

"I hear he's King now, his parents?"

"Sadly, His and Her Majesty have passed away about five months ago. It was a sudden passing and the title of 'King' went to Master Riku. He's been managing fine on his own but the stress of everything is taking a toll on his body. I wish the Master would take a break, even if just for a moment."

"It's the way he is. He loved his parents, with all his heart. He would do anything to make them proud. He probably also feels that he has no right to mourn or feel upset, he has a duty to carry on his father's legacy without fail." Tsubaki gave a smile, "He's still the same stubborn boy I remember him as years ago, huh?"

Tanaka gave a laugh, "I'm sure the best medicine for him right now would be you, Tsu-Chan. How long has it been since the two of you seen each other?"

"To him, long enough. Is that piano still here? The one my father gifted back when we were children?"

"Of course. Let me take you to it." Tanaka led Tsubaki down the hall to a very big and bright room. There were windows all around the room and the sun's rays made the room feel very warm. In the middle of the room was a large white grand piano. Tsubaki walked up to it and hit a key.

"It still produces such a beautiful sound…" Tsubaki looked at it with melancholy eyes.

"Master Riku had us take care of your precious piano while you were away in hopes that you would return to the palace soon. How about a song for our troubled King?"

Tsubaki took a seat at the piano and started to play a soft and loving melody. Tsubaki even started to sing and as Tsubaki's voice spread throughout the palace, the workers stopped what they were doing and listened to the Princess' beautiful voice.

While in his chamber, the king dropped his pen as he heard the mysterious singing voice. _That voice, it can't be, can it?_ Riku immediately got up and swiftly walked out of his room to follow the sound of the voice. As he reached the room, he widened his eyes in shock.

"Tsu…baki…" He said under his breath, "Tsubaki!" Riku ran over to Tsubaki and hugged her from behind. Tsubaki stopped singing and was caught by surprise. "I've missed you so much! Riku stated as he tightened his hands around her.

Tsubaki gave a smile and put her hand on Riku's arm, "Okaeri (I'm back), Riku."

. . .

In the King's chambers were Tsubaki and Riku. The King's chamber was supposed to be a large and grand room but since there were papers and scrolls everywhere, it was very cramped.

"Why are you here so suddenly? Have you rethought about the proposal?" Riku asked.

"No, it isn't about that, I'm sorry Riku. But there is something I need to discuss with you."

"After all these years, I'm surprised you even remembered me." The emerald-eyed boy said while looking down at his hands.

"Why wouldn't I remember you? You took me in and cared for me when I ran away. I owe you everything."

 _Except your heart…_ Riku thought to himself as he gave a gentle smile to Tsubaki, "So, what have you been up to? You haven't contacted me in so long and I feared the worst happened. Has everything been alright?"

"Well…" Tsubaki's eyes softened and she had a sad expression on her face. "I finally found him. Hisoka…"

Riku's eyes widened. "What? Where? How? When?" Riku was in utter disbelief.

"Hunter Exam… A lot happened." Tsubaki told Riku everything that happened on her journey while she was taking the Hunter Exam. She told him about Gon and the others, the Machiyo attacking and Hisoka's personality change. By the end of her story, Tsubaki's could only let out a sigh.

"Is it really worth it? All the pain and suffering he caused you? Why don't you live here again?"

"eh…?"

"I can take care of you, I can protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you, that idiot Magician is only going to hurt you. He plays with your heart and only teases you, hurting you even more! I would never do that to you! So please, won't you stay here? With me…? We can finally finish our marriage ceremony." Riku's eyes shone brightly but they wavered while looking at Tsubaki. His eyes were full of despair and his heart was in pain.

"Riku…I… I can't. There's something I have to do. I made a promise…"

"Promise with who?!" Riku was starting to get loud. "That Magician? Every promise you two make with each other is always broken! Didn't you say he promised to always keep a smile on your face?! I don't see that happening now! All I see is sadness from you! Such pain and misery, I can't bear to look at you in that state! Tsubaki is best when she's smiling! When she's happy! So why do you always go back to him?! Why is he the person you care about the most?! After everything he's done to you… WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH?!" Before Riku realized it, he was standing up and he was yelling at the Princess, who widened her eyes in shock and clenched her fists in guilt. He couldn't look at Tsubaki any longer and turned his head away. "Why is his happiness so much more important to you than your own? Why… do you always put your life on the line when it comes to him…?"

Tsubaki put her head down. "Because… He's the one I love." Riku's eyes widened at her answer and various negative thoughts were flowing into his mind. Riku sat back down and gave a sigh.

"So… what do you need to talk about?"

"I heard you're going to Yorknew City for the auctions."

"The auctions? Oh yes, I have some business to attend there. Why? Is something wrong?"

"No… I just need a favor if you don't mind."

"Anything."

"I heard that there's going to be an underground auction hosted by a man named Fuuto. Do you think you could lead an investigation for me?"

"Sure but those underground auctions are pretty hard to locate. Why…?"

"The less you know Riku, the better."

"I understand. This is one of your "don't ask, don't tell" situations. I'll have Tanaka take care of it."

"Thank you, Riku." Tsubaki said with a smile.

"No problem… Ne, Tsubaki, why don't you stay here until Tanaka gets the information you need? You don't have anywhere to go right?"

"If you don't mind, may I?"

"Of course, I'll have a room set up for you. You must be tired too, why not take a rest and we'll wake you when dinner's ready."

"If that's okay. Thank you, RIku."

. . .

"Tsubaki-chan?" Riku walked into Tsubaki's room with a tray of tea. Tsubaki was sleeping in her bed with the blanket covering half of her body and a peaceful expression on her face. Riku set the tray on the dresser next to the bed and he took the blanket and covered her up. He moved the hair off her face and looked at her with eyes of sadness.

 _Was he really that important to you? You should've saw his face when I told him you were going to get married… He loves you, Tsubaki, more than you know. But… All he's gonna do is hurt you… I won't. I promise that I'll always be with you. I will always make you happy and I will always protect you. Tsubaki… When we were going to get married I can tell you hesitated. You didn't love me…the person you loved was Hisoka and you'll always love him. Tsubaki… Please don't leave me again… I can't lose you again…_ Riku leaned in closer to Tsubaki's face and kissed her lips. He looked at her face and a tear escaped from his eye. _Why do I always lose the people most important to me?_

A sudden knock was heard at the door and Riku immediately turned away from Tsubaki.

"Master Riku." Tanaka whispered. "We must go meet with the Advisory Council now."

"Understood, I'll be right there Tanaka."

"Yes sir." Tanaka left the room and soon after Riku followed suit.

 _A Few Weeks Later_

Tsubaki was in the garden looking at the flowers and then suddenly Tanaka appeared before her.

"Tsu-chan… I have the information you wanted."

"Really?"

"Yes. Come take a seat." Tsubaki and Tanaka sat at the table that Riku and Tsubaki sat at when they first met.

"According to what I could find out, the underground auction will be held in about a week. The host of the underground auction is a man named Fuuto, he's a very rich and powerful man. He's in the top 2O of the Most Wanted List, for the Government as well as the Hunters. Fuuto has been known to kidnap young girls and to hold them hostage for many years. He rapes and tortures the girls; he even sells their bodies for money. The girls he kidnaps, he always sells them in his auctions. The auction site changes every year and it's hard to track him because he has many people that act as "bait". Fuuto makes a list every year of the girls he is going to sell and he has a poll of which girls the buyers want in that year's auction. Tsu-chan… This Fuuto, he's not someone to go up against if that's what your goal is." Tanaka explained.

"Thank you, Tanaka. Don't worry about me too much I won't do anything reckless. But is that all you were able to find out?"

"I have a name for you, she has information on the underground auctions but I'm not sure how much she'll be willing to reveal, I had to bribe my informant pretty heavily for this name." Tanaka gave a scrap of paper to Tsubaki with the woman's name on it.

"I understand, thank you." Tsubaki gave Tanaka a smile and gave him one last hug. "I appreciate everything you have done for me."

Before Tsubaki left she went to the King's chambers and said goodbye to Riku. He tried to convince her from leaving but nothing worked.

"Like I said, I have something I must do."

"Please be safe, Tsubaki."

"I will. Thank you for everything you have done for me." She bowed respectfully to Riku. Riku walked over to her and lifter her body up giving her a tight hug. "Come back to me soon, okay?" Tsubaki only gave a smile and returned the hug. -

Tsubaki finally reached Yorknew City after traveling for two days from Southern Taira. The city was very large and there were lights flashing everywhere. The city was beautiful but was too loud and crowded for Tsubaki's taste.

Since she had no connections in Yorknew City, she decided to check into a hotel for the meantime. Reaching into her obi, she pulled out the scrap of paper and looked at the name once again: Turino Arashi.

"Turino Arashi, I may have a name but where on Earth am I supposed to find you?" Tsubaki walked toward the large window in her room and observed the bustling city. The auctions have already started for a few days and Tsubaki has no time to waste so she decided to make her way into town and gather as much information as possible.

The hotspots for gathering information would usually be at a bar or in the casinos, Tsubaki made sure she was at both everyday.

One night, at the casino, Tsubaki was approached by a young brunette woman that heard she was handing out a reward in exchange for information about the underground auctions.

The woman told Tsubaki that if she wanted a pass into the underground auctions, she had to make her way to Color Bar and make sure that her appearance was suited for the atmosphere.

"What do you mean by that?" Tsubaki questioned with a confused look.

"Look, there are a group of different guys that cycle throughout the bar that have connections to the underground auction and the only way to get information from these guys is to have them approach you. Also, depending on the guy there that night, it may be easy or difficult for you to get the information that you want. Men have different ways in approaching women. But there is one man that is known to always go after the most beautiful women and I can assure you that you are one of those. But if this man actually does approach you… Be careful. He is not an easy man to get information out of. You will have to trade something for that information. Something that only he can decide."

"Okay, so how do I get them to approach me?"

The woman scanned Tsubaki's appearance from head to toe and replied, "Not dressed like that, you need something more fitted. You're going to have to catch the attention of these guys, how good are you at flirting?"

"Flirting? The only guy I ever liked keeps avoiding me, and the only guy that ever liked me won't get the message that I'm not interested in marrying him. So as you can see, I don't have much room for flirting."

"Well, you're going to have to get a new set of clothes and start working on that. You need to be approachable, and seductive. That's the only way to get those guys to give you information."

"Alright, I understand, thank you."

"Now, I heard there's a reward for this information?"

Tsubaki took out a wad of cash from her obi and handed it over to the woman, "You better not be playing me."

"Never, good luck." The woman replied as she took the cash, gave a smile, and walked away.

Tsubaki immediately left the casino and headed toward the shopping outlet to buy something more 'fitted'.

The young woman observed Tsubaki and when she saw that Tsubaki left the casino, she headed her way to the private room under the casino and handed the wad of cash over to a man with blond hair and blue eyes.

"Good work, Haru. Head to the boss and tell him that I'll take care of the bar this week, I want to be the one to bring her in."

"Understood." The woman named Haru bowed deeply to the man and made her way back upstairs to the casino.

"I wonder how you'll make your appearance, Princess. I'll be patiently waiting for you."


	14. YorkNew City

**[[ Another chapter as promised.**

 ****IMPORTANT****

 **This chapter and the following chapters will be rated M.**

 **There are many suggestive themes and languages as well as sexual content.**

 **Discretion is advised. ]]**

* * *

It has been two days since Tsubaki has made contact with the woman she believed to be Arashi. Since then, Tsubaki has yet to make her move to Color Bar with the new set of clothes she bought.

When Tsubaki made her way to the shopping outlet, she let one of the employees help her pick her outfits out but when trying on the dress the employee showed her, Tsubaki felt… exposed and uncomfortable. As Tsubaki tried to make her move to Color Bar she would get her hair and makeup done but when it was time to put on the dress, she was unable to pick it up and decided against going out.

Tsubaki stood in her hotel room looking at the dress laid out on her bed and gave a sigh. "I know this is something I have to do in order to find Fuuto but it's been so long since I've worn something like this and the last time I did…" Tsubaki was thinking about her past and her hands were starting to shake. "I have no choice, I have to do this. I don't know if I'll even be able to find more information if I go back out there." Tsubaki took the dress of her bed and went to change into it.

As Tsubaki changed, she stood in front of the mirror and observed her new appearance. Tsubaki's hair was loosely curled and placed into a high ponytail exposing her chest area. The dress the employee picked out for her accentuated all of Tsubaki's curves. The dress itself was a deep red color, like the color of a ruby. It was a long red dress that had a leg slit that started all the way up close to her pelvic area, closely revealing her black underwear. The upper part of the dress had long lace sleeves that fitted her below her shoulders and formed a "V" shape exposing her breasts. Matching her jewelry (and undergarments) Tsubaki wore black pumps to pull the outfit all together. Looking at her appearance, all Tsubaki could do is let out a sigh, "Just one night and it should be fine."

Tsubaki finally made her way to Color Bar and on her way there, she received many catcalls and people were staring at her intently. Tsubaki tried her best to ignore her surroundings and focused on her goal, however, a glass of wine was something she could use right about now.

It has been about two hours since Tsubaki has sat in the bar and the only guys that approached her were the ones that wanted to get into her pants.

"Miss, an extra glass of wine from the man in the white suit." The bartender said while placing the glass of wine on the counter and giving Tsubaki a gentle smile.

Tsubaki looked at the bartender and returned his smile, "Thank you."

She looked across the table and looked at the man in the white suit. He looked about the same age as Tsubaki and he had blond hair and blue eyes. He was very attractive and surrounded by many women. He noticed Tsubaki looking at him and he raised his glass to her and gave a smile. Tsubaki picked up the glass of wine, gave a smile to the man, and drank the wine.

As soon as Tsubaki was done with her drink, she got up and was getting ready to leave. She purposely left her purse behind and walked past the blond haired man giving him a flirtatious smile. Th man followed her with his eyes and gave a smile in return. He looked at where she was sitting and realized that Tsubaki left her purse. He got up from his seat and went over to grab the purse. He immediately left the bar to chase after Tsubaki.

"Excuse me, Miss!" He yelled out to Tsubaki while running up to her from behind. "It seems you've forgotten your purse."

As Tsubaki turned around and he was able to get a better view of her, his eyes widened in excitement, "Oh, why thank you." Tsubaki took her purse and smiled gently at the man, "Aren't you the one that bought me that extra glass of wine? Thank you fro that drink."

"It was my pleasure; I was quite surprised to see such a beautiful woman like you sitting by yourself. Did you get stood up or something? I mean, just look at you," The man observed Tsubaki one more time, "any man has to be an idiot to stand you up."

Tsubaki gave a giggle, "I'm quite flattered but the truth is, I arrived in town only a few days ago and I thought I would go and get a drink."

"That explains why I've never seen you around here before, I would have remembered seeing a beautiful woman like you." The man moved in closer to Tsubaki and started to rub his hand against her exposed thigh.

Holding in her disgust, Tsubaki was only able to give a smile as she replied, "I've come for the, uh, underground auctions, I've heard that there are quite some interesting items for bid."

"That's odd, haha. Not many women are interested in auctions like those. Is there a specific item you're interested in?" The man questioned as he slowly moved his hand up to Tsubaki's hips, underneath her dress.

"Not quite, I'm new to the auction world. I'm just looking for something that may pique my interests. If you know what I mean." Tsubaki explained while gently touching the man's tie and looking into his eyes.

"Then, how about we go get some drinks at another bar and I'll tell you everything I know about these auctions." The man gestured his arm out so that Tsubaki would grab a hold of his arm as he guided her to another bar.

"If you would be so kind," Tsubaki said with a smile as she held onto the man's arm.

. . .

Tsubaki's P.O.V

 _Darkness. I couldn't open my eyes and I couldn't move. Where exactly am I? What happened to me…? Was it that man? What was his name again?_

"Are you sure this is her, Kaname?" A voice said,

"Absolutely. I remember those eyes, hah. They burned with hatred years ago. Don't you remember, Gou?" Kaname replied.

 _Kaname? Gou? Who are these people? Actually the second voice sounds familiar. That man!_

"How did you find her?"

"At a bar. Not long ago, one of the royal advisor's were asking around about the underground auctions, I had Mimi give him Arashi's name. Unfortunately, Arashi had to leave before they made contact so I had Haru lead her to me. You should've saw her at the bar Gou, she was breathtaking. I wanted her all for myself."

"Well I know what you mean but now that we've found our popular item, we can't keep our boss waiting. Give her another dose of that special drug."

 _Special drug? Popular Item? Shoot, he wasn't an informant but part of the auction itself! How could I be so stupid, I got played! I should have paid better attention._

"Yes, sir."

 _The footsteps stopped right next to me, and the only thing I felt was a needle going through my arm. I'm losing consciousness. Damn! I can't believe this is happening, I'm gonna be prisoner here again!_

. . .

 _I managed to open my eyes but everything was hazy. How long was I out? My head hurts and I can barely keep my eyes open._

 _Ahh! Someone's yanking my hair. It hurts… I can't even see his face. It's too blurry._

"This is _her?_ " _The man next to my ear, why does he sound so familiar?_

"Yes, sir. She's grown up hasn't she?"

"She definitely has." After holding onto my hair for a while longer, he threw me against the floor.

 _Damn you, when I find out who you are, I will definitely kill you._

 _I could hear his footsteps getting louder as if he's coming towards me. I felt a hand on my head and a hot breath next to my ear._

"It's been a while, Tsuki-Chan, my little princess _." He whispered in my ear. I heard him give a smirk before he decided to kick me. Che. His kick is powerful. I feel like my ribs were crushed._

"Boss, you can't harm the merchandise!" The man called Gou yelled out.

"Haha, Fools! She won't be participating in this month's auction."

"What do you mean, Boss?"

"We have to raise our ranks. Now that we have her, we'll be sure to get more clientele. Announce that we've gotten her and tell them that she will be in the auction 5 months from now."

"Are you sure, Boss? I don't think they'll want to wait so long."

"No, they have to. She's not cheap. And she ain't going cheap. It'll give them time to get even more money and to spread the word. She's the number 1 wanted item. She has to be the news of all of the Underground Auctions."

 _So I was right. This is the Underground Auctions. So is this man… Fuuto?_

"Give her another dose. I'll be writing up her schedule. Keep her somewhere no one will be able to find her."

"Yes, Boss!"

 _Another needle. At this rate, I'd rather die._

. . .

Third Person P.O.V

"You are Setsuno Seiya, correct?" Hisoka approached an elderly woman standing near the ocean looking above at the stars.

"And if I am?" The woman asked paying no particular attention to the Magician behind her.

"I have something I must ask." Hisoka said while leaning on the tree trunk behind the woman.

"Ask away."

"Tsubaki… Your connection?"

The woman slowly turned around and faced the Magician. "Who are you?" She asked with a suspicious look.

Hisoka gave a chuckle. "Don't worry. I'm not after her to kill her if that's what you're thinking."

"Then what do you want with Tsubaki?"

"I just needed information. That's all. Being one of the closest people to her, I thought you would know."

"What exactly do you want to know?"

"Scars."

"Scars?" Setsuno asked confused.

"The Princess has scars, how'd she get them?"

"Sorry but that is not something I can tell you." The woman turned back around to face the ocean.

Hisoka took out a card and was prepared to throw it at the old woman.

"Think twice before trying to kill me." She looked back at Hisoka and he felt a very strong killing aura. This got Hisoka very excited.

"I would honestly love to kill you one day."

Setsuno gave a laugh. "You're a 1OO years too early, boy."

"Well, If you really know nothing…" Hisoka got up from the trunk and began to walk away.

"Auctions." The woman said which stopped Hisoka in his tracks. "The only clue I can give you is that the answer lies within the auctions. I apologize but Tsubaki's past is something that only she and I know about."

Hisoka gave a smirk and walked away from the old lady. "That's enough information for me."

. . .

Hisoka, who was also in Yorknew City, had a place of his own and when he returned home, he went to the bathroom and took a shower. When he got out of the shower, he grabbed a towel and put it around his waist. He grabbed another towel for his hair and walked to the fridge. He took out a bottle of beer and took a seat at the couch next to the big window in his room.

"Long day?" A voice called out.

Hisoka looked at his window curtains and out appeared a purple haired, blue eyed, female ninja.

"Machi. What're you doing here? Did you miss me?" Hisoka gave a smirk to Machi and took a sip out of his beer bottle.

"As if. Where were you? You missed our meeting."

"Ah, sorry. I had some business to take care of."

"I could honestly care less but you better come to the meeting tomorrow. We're discussing the Troupe's move in the auctions." Machi stood at the window showing an expression of boredom. She had no interest in talking to Hisoka.

Hisoka put his drink on the table in front of the couch and approached Machi. He rested his arm on the glass above her and leaned closer to her. Machi was clearly uninterested. Hisoka gave a smirk. "If I don't go, will you drag me there with your beautiful Nen threads?"

"Not in a million years." Machi said straightforwardly. "And why don't you put some clothes on."

"You could put them on for me." Hisoka said in a teasing voice.

"Uninterested." Machi replied while walking away from Hisoka. She walked toward his door and turned around to him. "Come to tomorrow's meeting or else." She then walked out of the door and Hisoka remained standing at the window. He looked down at the bustling city and saw many limos arriving at the casinos and banquet halls. _*flashback* "Auctions." The woman said which stopped Hisoka in his tracks. "The only clue I can give you is that the answer lies within the auctions." *end flashback*_ Hisoka gave a smirk while looking out the window. _Then that bastard must be here somewhere._

. . .

"hnn…" Tsubaki was beginning to awaken. Her vision was still a little blurry but she managed to see the outline of most things. The room she was in was dimly lit by one candle that was placed near the door and it was very small. She tried to sit up and look around the room but her right hand was handcuffed to the bed. _Where am I now?_ She looked around the room and there were no windows or anything. It was a small, cold, dark room with only one door. _My head…_ She put her hands on her head as she was feeling dizzy.

The door suddenly creaked open and in came in a man with a large bottle of alcohol, "Ahh… Looks like you're awake. You thirsty?" Tsubaki shook her head but the man yanked her hair and made her gulp down the alcohol, choking on it in the process.

"Done already? That won't do. But the Boss says I can't give you too much or else it'll ruin that pretty little body of yours. The man put his hand on Tsubaki's leg and gave a smirk. "Too bad I can't participate in the next auction. Guess I'll have to try and buy you from a different guy later on. Or… would you like to be mine now?"

Tsubaki spit on the man's face and gave him a death glare.

The man gave Tsubaki a hard slap and pushed her back on the bed.

"How dare you spit on me! Do you know who I am?! I have enough money to buy your life over 2O times!" The man took his belt from his pants and started whipping Tsubaki. "You need to learn your lesson! I was going to go easy on you but the Boss was right, you're a feisty one! You need to be punished!"

The man whipped Tsubaki over repeatedly in the same spot over 3O times. Her back was stinging but she managed to withstand the pain after being repeatedly beaten by her mother when she was little.

"I have your dinner, Pri- Hey! What're you doing?!" A man with dark blue hair and amber eyes entered the room. He was carrying a tray of food for Tsubaki. When he saw the man whipping Tsubaki, he placed the tray of food down and immediately went over to stop the man.

"What're you doing, Rei?!"

"I should be asking you that Kuroya! Why are you whipping her?! You're not supposed to lay your hands on her!"

"Shut up! She deserved to be punished, she needs to know where she stands. You're lucky though, I just finished." Kuroya put back on his belt and left the room. "Let that whore know I'll be back for her another time!" Kuroya looked at Tsubaki with an evil smile. Tsubaki returned his smile with a harsh glare. Her eyes no longer shone a bright amethyst. They were dark and cold with the intent to kill. Kuroya left the room with a roaring laugh closing the door behind him.

"Are you okay?" Rei asked trying to reach for her shoulder.

Tsubaki gave him a glare and he immediately backed away.

"At least let me treat your back." The man left the room for a few minutes and came back with a first aid kit. "If you don't mind…"

Rei unzipped Tsubaki's dress to reveal Tsubaki's lower back that burned a bright red and it also had splotches of blood.

"This is terrible. That damn Kuroya, always acts on his own." Rei opened the first aid kit and grabbed hydrogen peroxide as well as cotton balls. He drenched the cotton ball with the hydrogen peroxide and grabbed a pair of tweezers to hold onto the ball. "Sorry but this is gonna sting. Please bear with it." Rei took the cotton ball and dabbed it over her wound.

Tsubaki made no sound. She tightened her grip onto the sheets and clenched her teeth.

Rei took the gauze out of the first aid kit and wrapped it around Tsubaki's back. "It should heal in a week or two. You'll be fine for the auctions, thank goodness."

"You…" Tsubaki began in a weak voice. "You seem like a kind person, why are you affiliated with people like them?"

"Because I'm like you, they now own my life."

"The person in charge, his name?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you."

"Tell me his damn name!" Rei looked into Tsubaki's eyes and conceded.

"His name… is Fuuto."

The name echoed throughout Tsubaki's body. _I knew it…_ Her eyed widened and her whole body shut down. She was like a lifeless doll. She no longer had warmth in her and all she could feel was fear. It was worse than her encounter with Hisoka; her fear reached her body to the core. She was immensely terrified and there was no way for her to escape.

"Let… me out." She whispered. "Let me out of this damn place!" Tsubaki went insane. She charged at Rei but was held back by her restraints. "LET ME OUT OR KILL ME! I'D RATHER DIE THEN GIVE THAT MAN MY LIFE!" Tsubaki lifted up the tray of food next to her and threw it at Rei. The glass broke right in front of her. Tsubaki dropped to the floor and her eyes were still lifeless. She took a piece of glass from the floor and aimed to cut her neck but Rei lunged at her and tried to hold back her hand.

"I need help in here!" Rei yelled out.

Immediately two doctors came in and prepared a needle for Tsubaki. They injected her with a sleeping drug and her muscles immediately relaxed. She let go of the glass but her hand was all bloody. Tsubaki was beginning to lose consciousness and she no longer had the will to live.

 _Please… someone just kill me…_

Darkness fell beneath her and she passed out.

"Patch her hand up and get her stable again." Rei instructed. "And get someone to clean up this mess."

"Yes, sir." The doctors did as they were told and Rei walked out of the room. As Rei walked out of the room, the image of Tsubaki's lifeless eyes popped in his mind. He looked back at the sleeping princess and then walked away. _There's no escaping Fuuto and his men once you've been captured… It's useless. Especially you Hime, they made changes when you escaped, you're going to remain their prisoner forever._


	15. Kidnapped

**[[ Been a while, sorry about that!**

 **Enjoy. Rated M for language and sensitive material. ]]**

* * *

"Hey! Get up!" A man pulled Tsubaki by her ponytail and pulled her face close to hers. It was Kuroya. He gave a smirk and waved an alcohol bottle at Tsubaki. "Open up. It's time for another drink."

Tsubaki kept her mouth closed but Kuroya forced her to open her mouth. He poured the alcohol down her throat causing her to choke again.

"What a weakling. Don't get too sleepy now. The Boss wants you to witness your first underground auction in a couple hours. I'll be back to pick you up." Kuroya throws Tsubaki back on the bed and leaves the room. Tsubaki looks at the door with lifeless eyes and doesn't even move. She was exhausted and usually only gets about 4 hours of sleep every night since she's often awoken by the screams of other woman held by Fuuto and his men.

Tsubaki has been with them for a month already and she is a complete mess. Her hair is a mess, she still wears the dress she had on a month ago but it is all torn and dirty, and she has submerged deeply into the darkness. She has tried to conjure her fans countless times but it seems her restraints are sealing her ability to use Nen. Tsubaki gave up. She gave up on the chance of someone helping her and she no longer had the will to do anything. It was like that time, eight years ago.

The past month that Tsubaki has been held by Fuuto, the only person that was sincerely kind to her was Rei. He would try to make her comfortable and try to put a smile on Tsubaki's face but he knows that that's impossible with the situation she is in. Rei would also try to give Tsubaki peace to have her sleep but the screams of the other woman would always echo throughout her mind. Rei would give her food and remove her restraints, even though he was her enemy, he was the kindest to her.

Kaname would care for her but he only treats her as the "merchandise". Deep down, Kaname is as kind as Rei but he has to appear more aggressive since he is one of Fuuto's top men.

As for Kuroya, he is the most aggressive of the three. When it's his turn to watch over Tsubaki he would force alcohol down her throat and he would truly torture her. He would beat her, touch her, and give her cigarette burns. He treated her like trash and received a ton of enjoyment from it. Tsubaki would try to fight back but since she was so intoxicated she had no strength.

Tsubaki's care schedule was as followed:

Sunday & Monday: Kuroya's in charge.

Tuesday: Rei's in charge.

Wednesday: Kaname's in charge.

Thursday-Saturday: Rei's in charge.

Today was Sunday and Fuuto instructed Kuroya to bring Tsubaki to one of the auctions so that she knows what she will be a part of and how great she will be making men feel.

The light from the door blinded Tsubaki; it's been so long since she's been outside her room. Kuroya entered the room with Kaname and Gou, who was pushing a wheelchair. Kaname had a needle in his hand and administered a shot to Tsubaki. The shot made her body feel numb and they carried her and placed her into the wheelchair. They handcuffed her to the handles on the wheelchair and took her to a large hall. It was like a theater hall. There were chairs everywhere and the stage was enormous. There were men in suits on the stage preparing for the auction starting in a few minutes and many people were walking through the entrances to get good seating.

On the stage was a big cage that looked like a birdcage but was obviously designed to hold women. There were 4 chains coming from the sides of the cage with cuffs at the end. Gou, Kaname, Kuroya, and Tsubaki took seats in a private area near the stage. The lights in the hall were starting to dim and the auction was beginning.

The theater hall was full in just minutes and the ages of men ranged from 25-4O. On the stage the curtains were being pulled down and just a podium was revealed on the stage. A man in a black suit and sunglass walked across the stage and stopped at the podium; he was the announcer at this month's auction.

"Welcome gentleman to this month's underground auction!" The crowd was cheering and shouting; they were all excited to bid on these women. "Let's not waste any time and get started! The first woman is…" The curtain raised and a young woman with long brown hair and gray eyes was in the cage. She had no clothes on; only a thin blanket was given to cover her up. "We have the beautiful Haruno Mai as our first item! She's 24, a teacher and she's still pure. We'll start the bidding at 1OO Thousand Jenny!"

Then men raised their tags and Mai was sold for 1OO Million Jenny by a man in his late 3Os. The night continued for 2 hours with 1O other girls being sold. Tsubaki could not bear to watch, she would try to look away but every time she did, Kuroya grabbed her head and forced her to watch. He threatened her saying that if she closed her eyes, he would make sure Fuuto change his schedule to 4 days a week instead of 2. Tsubaki had no choice but to listen, Kuroya was Fuuto's advisor after all; he has the power to make that happen. After all of the girl's in that auction had been sold, the announcer said that he had a special surprise for the buyers today. Upon those words, Kuroya uncuffed Tsubaki from the wheelchair and cuffed together her hands and legs. He lifted her and carried her to the back of the stage. He threw her into the cage and tore her dress off.

"We have a very special surprise for you guys tonight! You guys all voted that the number 1 item you wanted most in our auctions were the Sakurai Family Princess and here she is! Tsubaki Sakurai, age 23, Princess of the musically talented Sakurai family!" The curtains raised and Tsubaki was revealed naked. The crowd went nuts! They were screaming and shouting; their eyes were filled with lust. "Now now, calm down. This is just a preview, Tsubaki won't be in the auctions until 4 months from now. Her starting bid will be 5OO Million Jenny and she is a special exception. Whoever buys her can either sell her off to someone else when they're done or you can sell her back to us and we'll take her. Please spread the word and save up as much money as you can! Whoever gets this princess will be the luckiest man in the world! Well, good night everybody! I hope you enjoyed the auction! For those who've won the bids report to the underground cells and pick up your prizes! Have a wonderful night!" The curtain was lowered and the announcer gave a bow to the crowd and walked off the stage. The buyers also left the theater hall and the others went to pick up the woman that they had bought.

"Time to go, Princess." Kuroya said. "The Boss gave specific orders: we can't let you out in public for too long." Kuroya picked up Tsubaki princess style and started to grope her. Tsubaki was unable to fight back due to the numbing drug.

"S-Stop it…" She said in a weak tone. "Stop!"

Kuroya laughed at her. "Stop? Don't act like you don't like it! I can tell that you enjoy this!" Kuroya leaned in closer to Tsubaki as he tried to kiss her but a blanket was suddenly thrown onto Tsubaki.

"Stop it Kuroya, orders are orders. We're not supposed to touch the merchandise" Kaname interrupted. "Besides, the Boss wants to speak with you, I'll take the Princess back to her room." Kaname took a hold of Tsubaki and grabbed her dress out of Kuroya's hands. Kuroya gave Kaname a death glare and walked away angrily.

When Kaname got to Tsubaki's room, he laid her gently on the bed. He uncuffed her legs and her hands; he noticed that there was marks due to how tight Kuroya had put them on. _We're supposed to torture these girls only if we keep them for our own pleasure yet… Here we are torturing this girl and trying to sell her off in 4 months. Will no one notice the scars? There's no way to hide them and even if they do heal in time, this girl isn't pure. Why do people want her so bad? Her looks? She is a beauty. Her ranks? She IS a Princess. The bounty? She's worth more than it though… Why do people crave her so bad? Especially the Boss. Why is this girl the number 1 most wanted item at these auctions?_

"I apologize for Kuroya's actions. I'll try to get Fuuto to get someone to watch over you in his place. Try to bear with it." Kaname places a change of clothes on the edge of the bed and heads to the door. "Change into these. I'll come back with your meal and medicine." As Kaname makes his leave, Tsubaki's gentle voice broke the silence.

"Do you like what you do?"

"Eh?"

"Lying to helpless women, kidnapping them, toying with them… You, you're the one that brought me here and yet you have the nerve to be kind to me? How dare you, you're no different then that damn Kuroya."

"You think all of us choose to be here? Like you Princess, I'm also a prisoner. I didn't choose this line of work, it was forced upon me."

"Then why not run? Why continue your charade?"

"Because I owe Fuuto."

"You owe him?" Tsubaki questioned as she narrowed her eyes at Kaname.

"In exchange for my life, he released the woman I fell in love with."

Tsubaki closed her eyes in response to his answer, "I didn't think love was something that was possible down here."

"Darling, love is the only thing that'll keep you alive down here. Now go change, I'll be back shortly."

As Tsubaki got up to change, her body ached. She had cuts and bruises all over her body. In addition to the previous scars she had, new scars had formed due to Kuroya's roughness on her. Tsubaki grabbed the clothes and changed into a tank with a baggy sweater and sweatpants. She returned to her bed and sat against the cold hard wall.

"Love is the only thing that'll keep you alive, huh?" Tsubaki scoffed and looked at her bracelet, "Am I still too weak for you? Are you going to abandon me down here again, Hisoka? If this is love, I do not want it. I'd rather die."

* * *

 _The Next Day (Monday Night)_

It was the middle of the night, Tsubaki was sleeping and the sound of a knock woke her up.

"Hey slut! You awake?" The door to Tsubaki's room slowly opened.

Tsubaki's eyes widened. It was Kuroya and he came into the room with lustful eyes. He had a needle in one hand and a bottle of alcohol in the other. Tsubaki knew that something was different with Kuroya and she tried to back away from him but she was handcuffed to the head rail of the bed.

"What time is it?" Tsubaki questioned in urgency.

"It's time for you to receive your punishment." Kuroya walked over to her and grabbed her head with his arm. He shoved the alcohol down her throat and injected the drug into her arm. Tsubaki was getting dizzy and she lost her balance. Her body was getting relaxed and Kuroya was getting excited. He put the empty alcohol bottle on the counter next to the bed and threw the needle on the floor. He shoved Tsubaki back on the bed and pinned her down. He started taking off her clothes and touching her. He was teasing her and then he raped her. When he was done, he started slapping her and punching her. He even took his belt out and whipped her lower back that just healed not too long ago.

Kuroya left her room hours later and Tsubaki was left on the floor crying, naked and bleeding. She looked at the table next to her bed and saw the empty alcohol bottle. She took it and smashed it against the edge of the table. After picking up a piece of the broken glass, Tsubaki looked at her dull reflection and she no longer recognized who she was.

"Looks like you're gonna get what you wished for huh, Maya? The Princess is dead, long live the Princess." Tsubaki tightly grasped the piece of glass and slit her throat, her body fell against the edge of her bed and blood spilt from her wound.

. . .

Rei was walking through the dim lighted hallway around 6am to get ready for his day of observing Tsubaki. He went to the front desk and prepared her for her routine check today. Some of the doctors were also up early and at the front desk talking about what they bought at the auctions yesterday. Rei went to the food storage room and grabbed breakfast for Tsubaki. He put it on a tray and grabbed the clipboard from the front desk. As he was walking to Tsubaki's room he heard a loud "crash". That sound made Rei stop in his tracks and he looked back at the three doctors who also stopped laughing. Rei dropped his tray and immediately ran to Tsubaki's room, the three doctors following after him.

Slamming open the door, the sight that greeted him was of Tsubaki naked and only covered with a thin blanket, bleeding from different parts of her body and her pure white hair turning red due to her blood. Rei and one of the doctors immediately ran to her to stop the bleeding on her neck.

"Oi, Hime! Pull yourself together, stay with me!"

Tsubaki, who was on the verge of death, slowly opened her eyes and looked into Rei's bright amber eyes. _It may not be you but your eyes are the same. Goodbye, Hisoka._

The other doctors left the room to set up the operating room. One of the other doctors came back into the room with a gurney and all three of them lifted Tsubaki onto the gurney and immediately rushed her to the operating room. As Tsubaki was getting wheeled out, Rei stayed behind and observed the room. He saw a needle on the floor and recognized that it was filled with muscle relaxer. Rei went over to the broken glass and realized it was an alcohol bottle and knew the only person that would give Tsubaki alcohol was Kuroya.

Rei was enraged. He stormed out of the room and went to Fuuto's room, interrupting a meeting that he had.

"What is the meaning of this, Rei?" Fuuto called out.

In the room were Fuuto, Kaname, and Kuroya sitting on one couch and two men in business suits on the other couch.

Rei walked up to Kuroya with anger on his face. He threw the needle on his lap and gave him an evil glare.

"Rei! What on earth are you doing?!" Fuuto continued to question.

"Boss, did you know that Kuroya here has been messing around with the Princess?" Rei said still looking at Kuroya.

"What?!" Fuuto looked at Kuroya and Kuroya turned his attention to something else.

"He's been force-feeding her alcohol, abusing her and now he raped her! This is where I draw the line! She almost died because of him!"

"What're you talking about?!" Kuroya said while standing up and getting in Rei's face.

"You didn't think she would take that alcohol bottle and use it to kill herself? She made a suicide attempt before, you didn't think she'd try again?! You idiot! If she doesn't make it out of surgery, it will be your fault on why she dies!"

"Why, you!" Kuroya tightened his fist and was about to punch Rei, however, Kuroya was the one flung across the room by someone else's punch. It was Fuuto. He had long tan hair and blue eyes. He was furious. He walked towards Kuroya and picked him up by his shirt.

"What did I tell you, you piece of trash? I told you to never harm the merchandise. You only punish them when they needed to be punished. We do not sell "used goods" but she obviously was an exception. She was supposed to be pure for the upcoming auction! Now that you've tainted her, you think she'll sell for 5OO Million?! She's supposed to have her pale flawless skin with only a few scars on her chest. How do you think people will react with the way Rei is describing her?! She's our moneymaker! How dare you ruin our treasure! LEAVE!" Fuuto threw Kuroya on the ground and gave him an evil look. "Leave now or prepare to die."

Kuroya knew that when Fuuto was serious he means everything he said. Kuroya got up and left the building.

"If she dies, we'll be coming after you." Fuuto says as the door closes behind Kuroya. "Rei."

"Yes, Boss?"

"Keep an eye on her. I assign you to watch her 24/7. Forget the schedule. You're in charge now. Take care of her. Inform me of everything."

"Yes, Sir!" With that Rei left the room and rushed to the operating room's observatory.

. . .

Beep Beep Beep

Tsubaki has woken up and found herself in a hospital bed. It was a very small room but it was so pure and white; she hasn't felt warmth like this in months. There was an IV hooked up to her and her heart monitor was normal. Her vision was a little blurry but then she heard footsteps. In her room came Rei, he was carrying a vase with a purple flower in it and he noticed Tsubaki was awake. He dropped his vase in shock and ran to the door.

"Doctor! She's finally awake!"

 _Finally awake? How long was I out? What happened to me?_

Rei rushed to her bedside and a doctor hurriedly entered the room.

"W-What happened?" Tsubaki managed to ask.

"Y-you don't remember?" The doctor said in a worried tone.

"No. not at all."

Rei and the doctor gave each other worried looks and then looked back at Tsubaki.

"What… happened?" Tsubaki asked beginning to get worried.

"You… tried to kill yourself. Remember?"

The images of the rape came back into her mind and of Kuroya's lustful eyes. Her heart monitor started beeping rapidly and Tsubaki had an expression of insanity on her face.

"So… Why… did you save me? You wanted me to continue living like this again? I can't go back to that life. I don't want to be here. Kill me. Kill me now!" Tsubaki looked at the two with emotionless eyes and the two only stayed silent. Tsubaki's hand reached her neck and there was only a little scar that was still healing there. She looked at Rei and the doctor in shock. "My neck…"

"It's been 2 months since then," The Doctor said. "You've been in a coma for 2 months already."

"2 months?!"

"And that's not all…" Rei began. "You're…pregnant."

Those words echoed throughout Tsubaki's body. "P-Pregnant? I-Impossible! I-I can't be p-pregnant! N-no way! There's no way in hell I'm pregnant! I am NOT having his baby! T-This must be some kind of joke! Haha, that's right! A joke. Please tell me you're joking!" Tsubaki looked at Rei's amber eyes and they did not waver. He was serious. Tsubaki went delirious. She ripped out her IV and tried to get off the hospital bed. "Let me out of here. Get me out of here, damn it!" She tried to get off but Rei and the doctor tried to keep her in the bed. The doctor injected her with a sleeping drug but Tsubaki continued to fight.

"Not again, please! I can't go through this again…" Tsubaki stopped fighting back and burst into tears. "Please…Please kill me. Since I'm pregnant I'm no good for the auctions, right? You no longer have a use for me, so please? I'd rather die. Please…" Tsubaki's muscles were relaxing and she was beginning to fall asleep. Her mind was everywhere and she looked at her wrist. Her bracelet was gone. Tears were streaming down her eyes and she had nothing to live for. All she could see was darkness and all she craved for at this moment was darkness.

. . .

"That damn Rei! Call me out like that!" Kuroya was walking through an alleyway. Since he got kicked out of Fuuto's group he had nowhere to go. He lived in an alleyway and he met someone interesting on his way back one day. "I'll get them back! All of them! Even that damned Princess! HAHA! If I sell this bracelet I'll probably get a ton of money for it. I won't need them anymore; I'll be a millionaire! HAHA!" Kuroya held a gold bracelet in his hands with two charms on it. One was of a blue crescent moon and the other of a joker playing card.

"It's not right to take things from others" A voice called out.

"Who's there?!" Kuroya yelled out looking around him.

Suddenly, something was thrown at Kuroya's hand and the bracelet was pinned to the alley wall by a playing card. Kuroya walked toward the card and tried to remove the bracelet but then he felt someone appear behind him. He turned around and his body immediately felt fear. He saw a red haired man wearing a jester looking outfit holding a card over his face with an evil smirk.

"Who're you?!" Kuroya asked

"It doesn't matter who I am, all that matters is who you are and how you got that bracelet." Hisoka said while taking a step closer to Kuroya. Kuroya backed away and he was scared for his life.

"I found it. That's all."

"It's not right to lie either." Hisoka gave a smirk and threw the card from his hand. It missed Kuroya's cheek by a centimeter.

"I stole it from this girl. I swear."

"And where is this girl?" Hisoka said while preparing another card in his hand.

"I-I don't know! I don't know where they're holding her. I get blindfolded in and out of the place. No one knows the exact location!"

"Ohh. Then who is holding her? You should know that right?" Hisoka said while giving a smile.

"H-His name is Fuuto. The Underground Auctions Boss. That's all I know. I swear. We didn't share much information with each other. Please. Spare my life." Kuroya was begging for his life.

"This Fuuto… Does he know this girl from a previous encounter?"

"Y-yes. He kidnapped her about 8 years ago."

Hisoka's eyes narrowed and he gave a menacing look. _Eight years ago? Is this the incident she was talking about when she almost died on Zevil Island? She was kidnapped by these fools? So they're the ones that gave her those scars? This man is one of them?_

"He raped and tortured her 8 years ago. He was always obsessed with looking for her. He's going to sell her in the auctions and continue to sell her until she dies. That was the plan. She could be bought and sold back. She was a special exception." Kuroya explained. "Please. I had nothing to do with it, I was recently recruited 5 years ago. I had nothing to do with her rape 8 years ago. Please spare my life. I didn't touch her!"

"Liar."

"hnn… Alright, I just force-fed her alcohol but only because I was ordered to! Nothing else."

Hisoka threw the card at Kuroya's forehead and he instantly dropped. _Liar._

Hisoka walked toward the wall and removed the card and bracelet. He took the bracelet and left the alleyway leaving the body of Kuroya. As Hisoka was walking away, he looked up at the sky. There was no moon shining that night.


End file.
